


Flyboys - A Star Wars Story

by Jacobdflores



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A-Wing(s), Action/Adventure, Alternate Canon, Bar, Black Spire Outpost, Blue Squad, Brothers, Bugs, Cantina, Combat, Comedy, Contest, Developing Relationship, Doctors, Drinking & Talking, Eavesdropping, Established Relationship, F/M, Fights, Filler, Fist Fights, Fluff, Flyboy Squad, Flyboys, Friendship, Galaxy's Edge, Gauntlet, Gen, Grief, Initimidation, Kissing, Language, Love, Mechanics, Mourning, Original Character(s), Partnership, Past Relationship(s), Pilots, Planet Batuu, Post-Battle of Starkiller Base, Post-Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Post-Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - Freeform, Pre-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rage, Repairs, Revenge, Sarcasm, Sleep, Smut, Space Combat, Spying, Squad Leader - Freeform, Star Tours, Star Wars - Freeform, Timeskip, Upgrades, Violence, Wake Up Call, Water, X-Wing(s), Y-wing(s), brothers-in-arms, computer, distraction, fight, prisoner, scouting, the resistance, trap, vengeance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2019-12-07 16:45:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18237554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacobdflores/pseuds/Jacobdflores





	1. Jaycob

The faint tapping at Jaycob's quarters grew louder and louder, pulling him out of his deep sleep. A muffled voice could be heard from the other side. Rubbing his eyes, Jaycob reached for his wrist-gauntlet, rolling his eyes as he saw the time. The muffled voice behind the door getting frustrated, the knocks also becoming more rapid. Strapping the device onto his wrist, Jaycob finally gathered the strength to plant his feet on the ground and walk to the door. He pressed the door release and slowly dragged himself into his bathroom, the voice of Mac becoming clearer as he entered the room.

"Jaycob! You know General Dameron was calling for us, right?"

Turning on his faucet, Jaycob splashed cold water onto his face in an attempt to wake himself up. He heard everything his friend was saying, but zoned it out. He gargled a handful of more water and rinsed his mouth, spitting the excess back into the sink. Turning around, he reached for the towel hanging on its drying rack, only for it to not be there. Jaycob turned his dripping face to Mac, staring at the missing towel that was now in his hands. Mac smiled mischievously shaking the fabric in his hand. Jaycob replied with a simple "give-it" hand gesture, being obliged with the fabric being thrown onto his face. Jaycob wiped down and exited back into his bedroom, only to sit back bedside.

"You were saying?"

"Dameron has been pinging the three of us for like ten minutes! He needs us on the bridge."

Sarcastically looking around his room, Jaycob pointed out with his eyes that they were the only two people there. Mac caught onto the signal quickly and tried to clear himself.

"Jon'Kil, you moron. We gotta get the Chiss, Dameron wants him too."

"Riiight. Did Poe tell you exactly why we're needed?"

"Well...no. But-"

"Then there's nothing to worry about buddy. It's probably just another stupid cargo run that he doesn't trust the newbies to take care of. We'll just wait it out, and if it's _that_ important, he'll find us himself."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Jaycob shrugged.

"It works."

"Ok, but I think this might be different. He mentioned something about a new fighter, o-or something."

"Oh really? That's all the information you got? You're gonna have to do a better job at selling it before I'm conv-"

"Bombers. They're bombers, hotshot."

Jaycob raised his eyebrows, this peaked his interest.

"I'm listening."

"Well, like I said that's all I heard. I'm pretty sure if you get your lazy ass to the bridge he might actually tell us."

Jaycob stretched and stood back up again.

"Fine. But if it is another cargo run, I'm making you do it yourself."

"Deal."

(-)

Jaycob and Mac both left the barracks and walked to the hangar in order to find their last piece of the puzzle. Jon'Kil. He was busy working on his new X-Wing, kindly supplied by the New Republic. Fusion cutter in his hand and blast shield over his face, it was too loud for him to hear either Jaycob or Mac's callouts. So instead, Mac resorted to knocking on his face mask. The Chiss was startled, practically jumping up and hitting the back of his head on his fighter's hull.

"Kriff!"

Jaycob and Mac both chuckled at his clumsiness.

"Dicks."

He said, rubbing the top of his head. Taking off his helmet and pulling off his gloves, Jon'Kil leaned against his fighter.

"What do you need?"

"We got a request from the general. We're needed at the bridge."

Mac answered.

"Cargo run?"

Jon'Kil asked, making Jaycob scoff.

"No! It's not a stupid cargo run!"

"Don't worry Jon'Kil, I thought the same thing. But I told him if it is, he's doing it alone."

"I like that idea."

Mac rolled his eyes and turned out of the hangar, motioning for the other two to follow. They obliged, the group eventually entering a lift that would take them to the command bridge. Jaycob pressed the correct floor button and fiddled with his device. Opening the flap, Tallie's picture was there to greet him.

"Crazy isn't it?"

Mac asked, catching a glimpse of the photo.

"What is?"

"It feels like it was just yesterday, you know, when she-"

"Yeah."

Jaycob gloomily closed the gauntlet.

"Anyways, Jon'Kil how are things with you and the mechanic?"

Mac shifted the conversation. Jon'Kil's eyes widened as he look at the ground, heat flushing his face.

"W-who? Asha? What are you t-talking about? We're not a thi-"

"Drop it Chiss, Jaycob told me what happened on Dathomir. Hell of a mission, wouldn't wanna be a part of that mess."

Jon'Kil shot a look of betrayal toward Jaycob. He replied with a shrug.

"Look Chiss, it's cool that you're dating the mechanic."

"Yeah Jon'Kil, relax. I've heard mechanics are _really_ good with their hands, is that true?."

Jaycob added, triggering Mac to snicker. Jon'Kil crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Screw you."

(-)

"There's my pilots!"

General Dameron exclaimed, greeting each one of them.

"Poe, good to see you again."

Jaycob responded.

"Likewise Jaycob. But anyways, you should know that I didn't call you three here just to catch up."

"Of course not sir."

Mac affirmed. Poe walked over to the center holotable and powered it on.

"I think I have a mission that would interest you guys."

Kaydel Ko Connix entered the room, throwing a datacard to the general.

"Thanks Lieutenant."

He said, sliding the card into the designated slot. Schematics of some type of ship popped onto the blank field.

" _This_ is your mission."

"Uhh, what is _that_ exactly?"

Jaycob asked clearly confused. To him, it looked like a jumbled up pile of spare parts of both new and old, with the the ship's profile resembling a two-pronged fork.

"It looks like a piece of junk!"

Jon'Kil added, also baffled by what in the galaxy it was. But on the other hand, Mac stood staring at the blueprints with his jaw dropped practically drooling.

"A _Y-Wing_."

General Dameron nodded his head, smirking.

"But...how?"

"Well, thanks to Jessika and Snap's recon flight to the old _Koensayr_ Manufacturing facility, we now have access to the entire company's arsenal."

The group stood quietly for a moment, trying to process all the information.

"So, why do you need us?"

Jon'Kil asked.

"There's a prototype that the FO have been working on. You guys are gonna steal it."

Jaycob and Jon'Kil looked at each other skeptically.

_Cargo Run_

Jaycob mouthed to his wingman.

"Yes! I love it."

Mac exclaimed.

"So you guys are in?"

Jaycob crossed his arms.

"Again, Poe you're going to really have to sell it if you want to convince me. Because, stop me if I'm wrong, remember the last time you made me leader of a new experimental squad? That didn't end well."

"Well, I couldn't agree more with you Jaycob."

"Good, so-"

"Which is why you're not leading this squad. Mac is."

The three pilots were taken aback.

"You've got to be kiddi-"

"When do we leave?"

Mac cut in.

"At your convenience. Connix here will be your flight officer, so just report to her when you're ready. Clear?"

"Crystal."

Mac left the bridge, Jon'Kil following close behind. General Dameron continued talking to Connix, discussing something else on a datapad. Jaycob approached.

"Poe, you cannot be serious right now. Listen, I know I messed up with White Squad but you don't have t-"

"Enough Jaycob. This isn't some lesson I'm trying to teach you, death is part of war. But, Mac has really been demonstrating skills that prove he's worthy to lead a squad. And don’t worry, this doesn’t mean I trust you any less than before, you’re still a commander. It’s just that I think Mac is ready for that step up."

"So you're entrusting him with an experimental squad? Why don't you give him some random X-Wing group first if you want to test him?"

"Our navy is spread thin as it is. Pilots don't exactly grow on trees. You know that right?"

Jaycob had no counter. So instead of pursuing conflict, he established some common ground.

"I need Jessika. She just got back from the recon mission right?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be exhausted though."

Jaycob shot him a sarcastic look.

"Don't you know who I am?"

General Dameron sighed.

"Yeah yeah, you're her brother, o-or something."

“Yup. Later, Poe.”

Jaycob concluded as he exited the bridge. He boarded the next available lift back down to the hangar. Once he got to the correct floor, the elevator door opened, revealing a sweaty and tired Jessika, in her orange jumpsuit holding her helmet. However, no matter how fatigued she was, she still flashed her same glowing smile at him. Jaycob quickly walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. She squeezed tightly, slumping into his arms.

"Hey hotshot."

"Skysis, you look terrible."

Letting each other go, Jessika punched him in the stomach. It hurt, but he didn't care. He was just glad to see her. Jaycob volunteered to hold her helmet for her, which she accepted, using her now-free hands to take off her gloves and chest-mounted life support system. They proceeded to walk back to the barracks, where Jaycob assumed, she would clean herself up and sleep.

"Did you run into any FO out there? That system can be a pain in the ass."

"Nah, no FO. Just some low-life pirates, which Snap and I took out with ease."

"Well, I'm just glad you're back in one piece."

"Yeah, but now I gotta head back out there. We transmitted some random info for a new ship and no doubt Poe's going to send us to get the prototype."

"Funny you say that, because he's actually not."

"What do you mean?"

"Me and a couple others are going to take the prototype."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Thank god, I need a break!"

She said, opening the door to her quarters.

"When you get back, drinks are on me."

Jaycob scoffed.

"Ok Jess, just focus on getting some rest alright? I'll see you soon."

Jessika nodded and dragged herself into her bathroom. Jaycob closed the door for her and turned back to the hangar. He raised his wrist-computer to his mouth and pinged Jon'Kil and Mac.

"Alright guys, you ready to head out? I wanna get this over with."

"Sure thing Jaycob."

"What the Chiss said."

"Ok, I'll meet you guys in the ready-room."

Jaycob then made his way to the  _ready-room_ that was connected to the hangar. It housed all the essentials that an on-duty pilot needed before they headed out into wild space, including: their individual life-supports, gloves, rations, small weapons, and most importantly, their uniforms. Jaycob, Jon'Kil, and Mac all suited up in silence, still reeling in from the news of the new squad leader. Thankfully, the awkward silence was broken up when another person entered the room.

"Asha?"

Jon'Kil asked, surprised. The Zeltron mechanic approached the pilot and whispered something into his ear, causing Jon'Kil to blush. Asha then followed up with a quick kiss and left through the same door from which she came, saying one last thing before the door closed.

"Good luck, flyboys."

Jaycob and Mac's eyes shifted from the door back to Jon'Kil, who was still smiling at his locker.

"Chiss, what the hell was that?"

Sliding his gloves on, Jon'Kil just shook his head.

"Nothing."

"Riiight."

Jaycob teased, grabbing his helmet from the rack.

"How about you Mac? The doctor gonna come in here too and give you a 'good luck' kiss?"

"I wish, Jaycob. But you know how busy she is."

"Wait, doctor? As in, Doctor Mads?"

"Yes, Chiss. Why is that such a surprise to everyone?"

"I don't know buddy. Maybe because she's hot and you're, well, you."

Mac threw a water bottle at Jaycob, which he dodged.

"I'll see you on the floor gentlemen."

Jon'Kil called back as he left the ready room. After Jaycob went through his final gear check, he approached Mac. He slung his arm over his shoulder and adopted a serious tone.

"Listen, Mac. I'm just letting you know right now, I'll tell Jon'Kil later, but you two are the only brothers I got left. I don't want you to end up on that board, you hear me?"

Jaycob pointed to a holographic board projected on one of the walls. It displayed an entire list of all Resistance personnel reported as killed-in-action. The expansive list scrolled through the names on a loop, becoming a painful reminder to anyone who came into the ready room. Coincidentally, Tallie's name scrolled past as he was talking, causing him to live through the flashback on _D'Qar_. But he shook out of it, looking at where Tallie's helmet would have been placed on the rack, continuing with his conversation.

"I understand, Jaycob. I've got your back out there, I promise."

Jaycob pulled back his arm and nodded, forcing a smile onto his face.

"I'll see you out there, _squad leader_."

Jaycob gave him one last pat on the shoulder before he exited. Now in the hangar, he grabbed a short step ladder from a shelf and brought it to his _RZ-1 A-Wing_ that he took from Tallie's farm on _Pippip 3_. With the help of Asha, Jaycob upgraded the old interceptor with new sublight engines, better laser cannons, and a reinforced hull plating, complimented with a powerful shield generator. He repainted it to match his former color scheme of the _RZ-2 A-Wing_ he flew several months ago, inscribing the acronym  _DA,_ which meant "deadly-approach" on the right stabilizer; another allusion to his late-wife. His helmet complimented his new ride, sharing the same blue and white scheme with Tallie's initials written on it's left forehead.

Jaycob hooked the ladder to the canopy and climbed inside. The seat was recently cleaned, the scent of _Jogan_ fruit filling his nostrils with joy. One of the floor engineers rushed to his side and unhooked the ladder, saluting a farewell to the experienced pilot. Jaycob replied with a two-fingered salute and slid his helmet on with the visor down. He connected his gauntlet to an empty communication port on his ship's NavComputer, powering on the comms and transmission systems. Jaycob then pushed a master power button, sending energy to the engine, shield, and weapons systems. The sublight engines revved to life, sending an open flame out of the exhausts to warm up. All systems were greenlit and ready to go.

"Ok, we ready to move?"

Jaycob called in.

"You know it!"

"What Mac said."

"Sounds good. Mac, you wanna do the honors?"

"Sure thing. Mac to Lieutenant Connix, requesting authorization for mission, over."

"Copy that Mac, this is Connix, you have the greenlight. Oh, but one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"Callsign?"

"Ummm, standby-"

"Flyboys."

Jon'Kil suggested.

"What, really? Jaycob, what do you think?"

Jaycob grinned.

"I kinda like it."

"Solid copy. Connix, this is Flyboy 1, pulling away."


	2. Mac

Being tasked an experimental squadron by Commander Dameron was the last thing Mac thought would happen during that briefing. Nonetheless, he would finish this task with pride and courage much like his other orders. He could tell Jaycob didn't take too kindly to, what Mac thought, the good news. Instead Jaycob acted offended, which in turn, made Mac offended. Surely, one of his best friends would be happy for this "promotion" right? Well, it didn't matter now. The Flyboys were already in their hyperspace lane headed for a, not-so-secret, First Order facility to steal an experimental Y-Wing. Mac still couldn't believe it. He's been dreaming of flying the notorious Clone Wars bomber ever since he was a child.

"Flyboy 1, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear Lieutenant Connix, go ahead."

"Perfect. According to your fighter tracking devices, you guys are almost at your destination. We highly recommend you disengage lightspeed and fly into the planet with your sublight engines."

"Well, I'm pretty sure we can spare just a couple more-"

"We're on it Lieutenant."

"Thanks Flyboy 2, let us know when you reach the surface. Flight control, out."

Mac shot a dirty look at Jaycob from his starfighter.

"Jaycob, what the hell?"

"What? It's just protocol. She always says that she 'recommends' it, but really she just wants you to do it. That's how it was when I was Squad Leader at least."

"Ok that's cool and all, but you're not squad leader. I am."

"Oh, is that right? Well I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but I’m the most experienced pilot here."

Tensions were rising between the two pilots as Mac felt his face begin to warm up. But before Mac could fire back a rebuttal, Jon'Kil stepped in as the neutral mediator. Mac had almost forgot the Chiss was there too.

"Guys guys, chill out. We're coming into range. Save the bickering for later, this is getting in the way of the mission."

A long pause followed before Mac and Jaycob hastily agreed. As squad leader, Mac knew he shouldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of their mission; something Jaycob had trouble with when he led White and Blue Squad. The First Order had taken back control of the Fondor Ship Yards, formerly owned by the Galactic Empire. It was a shipbuilding factory, placed just outside the atmosphere, stretching around the entire planet like a ring. The Empire used it to upgrade and repair their starfighters and Star Destroyers, being abandoned after the Battle of Endor.

The ship yards were now being poorly maintained by the First Order, only one-fourth of the factory was at functioning capacity. The two X-Wings and one A-Wing all slowed pace, taking in everything in front of them. The facility was only run by a couple jet-trooper squads, as well as one Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. A couple of TIE fighter patrols were roaming the area, but still out of fighting distance.

"I got a visual on at least one Resurgent, but I'm not sure if there are any reinforcements on the other side of the planet."

"Good looks Jon'Kil. Mac, contact Connix and tell her we're here."

"Flyboy 1 to flight control, do you copy?"

"We copy. Are you at the facility?"

"Affirmative."

"Do you have eyes on the prototype?"

Mac glanced at his scanners. No sign of the bomber.

"Negative. It's not appearing on my NavComputer."

"Oh no."

That didn't sound reassuring. Kaydel's voice sounded worried, as if she knew something that they didn't.

"Flight control, please advise."

"Flyboy 1, stay sharp out there. We've heard rumors that the bomber is capable of-"

"Cloaked ship coming at us from behind! Mac, watch it!"

Jon'Kil called out. Banking wide left, Mac had to dodge an incoming proton torpedo launched from...the Y-Wing. Mac's eyebrows shot up as he realized that the prototype was actually finished. The bomber had a plain white color scheme with the only accent of black painted vertically on the cockpit. Everything Mac had studied about the bomber from it's original creation in the Clone Wars, and later the Galactic Civil War, looked almost identical. There were no noticeable cosmetic changes made to the ship. Although, Mac and company were too busy escaping the prototype's auto-locking ion turret to get a better look. Mac took no time to engage into a pursuit path behind the enemy, the FO pilot being to preoccupied with taking down Jon'Kil and Jaycob. Or so he thought.

Before he was able to fire his own X-Wing cannons, the Y-Wing jolted downward, opening it's underbelly compartment to reveal a fresh set of magnocharges primed and set for launch. Pulling back hard on his control yoke, Mac sent his fighter into a tight upward loop, in an attempt to evade the orb-shaped bombs. The charges were jettisoned out into space, spreading about the vicinity of the entire squad. It was too late, there was nothing Mac could do except brace and hope that his shields could protect him from the inevitable blast. However, instead of the fiery-orange inferno he was expecting from the magnocharges, a blue energy surge radiated and struck his ship. All of his core systems began to fail, Mac losing his engines, weapons, and shields all in a matter of seconds.

"Dammit! They were ion bombs, I've lost all power. Guys, can you read me?"

Mac tried to use what little power he had left to try his comms. But all he got in reply was static. Soon after his transmission though, all power was lost, his X-Wing left idle as it floated about in enemy space. Mac was absolutely astonished by how quickly the prototype was able to take down him and the squadmates.

This bomber is no joke.

If the First Order got their hands on the prototype, who knows what else they've gotten hidden up their sleeves? However, Mac's contemplation was disturbed as the sudden jolt forward from his ship startled him. He tried restoring power to his core systems, but nothing happened. The interior lights and displays were still all off. If it wasn't the power coming back, the sudden movement could only mean one thing.

He was stuck in a tractor beam. Nervously looking out of every angle in his canopy, he tried to find any sign of his companions. He promised Jaycob that he wasn't going to end up on the ready-room list, and he intended to keep it. A small injection of relief coursed through his veins as he saw his former leader's A-Wing also getting pulled in the same direction. But where were they going? And where was Jon'Kil?

The Chiss pilot must've gotten lost in the chaos somehow, but Mac was pretty sure he got hit with the ion magnocharges as well. However, the whereabouts of his wingman left his mind, as an even bigger problem reached the forefront of Mac's brain. The surface of a First Order Carrier emerged from the shipyard, seemingly increasing in size as it got closer to the Resistance pilots. The ship was basically just a rectangular landing platform with thrusters. With enough room to house six to ten TIE fighters along with a pair of troop transports, the carrier was used as more of a sign of power to threaten the people of neutral planets than an actual utility vehicle. So to Mac, it didn’t look like much.

The tractor beam reeled them in all the way until the X-Wing and A-Wing floated above one of the empty landing spaces, then dropped them, using the artificial gravity to keep them from going astray. Then, the carrier docked at one of the empty cruiser spots stationed at the shipyards, moving the pilots and their vehicles into a hangar with a breathable atmosphere. A stormtrooper squad rushed as soon as the Resistance ships crossed the magnetic shield, prying open the cockpits of the fighters and dragging the pilots out onto the floor.

"Get your damn hands off of me you piece of-"

Jaycob was punched in the face as he tried to resist the placement of hand restraints. On the other hand, Mac remained calm and let the troopers follow their protocol. He wouldn't waste his energy on trying to fight them like Jaycob. He'd use it to try and find a way to contact for help, maybe Jon'Kil. After all, he was nowhere to be found.

"Well well well. It seems we've stumbled across some Resistance scum trying to steal our prototype!"

A voice from the shadows of a dark spot in the hangar. The deteriorating lights barely flickered above the speaker, Mac not able to tell who it was.

"I think you've got a misunderstanding bud, we're not trying to steal anything."

Jaycob teased. Whoever was on the other side of the joke was not amused.

"Shut him up."

The masculine voice commanded. After a quick nod of the head from a stormtrooper, Jaycob was struck yet again in the face, this time with the butt of an F-11D blaster. He cursed in pain as he began writhing around on the floor, in an attempt to make the oncoming blows miss his weak points. Whoever was ordering these guys around, definitely was not someone they had seen before. It wasn't Phasma, nor Hux, nor Ren. So who could it be?

"How about you flyboy? You seem quiet. You don't have a snarky remark that you need to get off your chest?"

Mac wasn't deterred.

"I'd probably think of one if you showed your face, coward."

A slow menacing laugh followed, as the shadow inched forward. The face of a First Order officer came into sight, but still not someone who was familiar. Mac looked at him, unimpressed.

"And who exactly are you supposed to be?"

"Bantha shi-"

Jaycob's witty reply was cut off by another kick to his abdomen. Mac snickered while the officer snarled.

"You're lucky I'm not going to kill you right here right now."

"Well, what's stopping you?"

"Don't think I don't know who you are, Mac. You have quite the reputation in the Resistance."

Mac smirked.

"Well what can I say? I was born to be in the skies."

"How naive. But don't get too ahead of yourself. Your friend over here is where the money's at! Look alive gentlemen, we got ourselves a Resistance commander aboard!"

He announced to the stormtroopers.

"It seems like you both were born to be in the skies."

"Yeah, it's not like I hold the record for kills or anything. But you guys are just so easy to track down in dogfights. It's like all I gotta do is pull the trigger, and you magically explode."

"Jaycob, cut it. He's not a fan of our work."

Jaycob's smile faded, as he spit right onto the officer's left cheek. The same stormtrooper responded with another smack to Jaycob's head, this time knocking him unconscious. Wiping away the saliva with a handkerchief, he then turned back to Mac.

"Knock this one out too, let the game begin."

(-)

Mac awoke to a bag slung over his head, being dragged on his knees by a pair of stormtroopers. The holes in the fabric let in little light as he could barely make out his surroundings. The marching of stormtrooper boots flanked both sides of him. The random chatter from officers and their inferiors seemed happy, excited almost. Whatever was going on, wasn't formal protocol.

"Mac! Mac!? Do you hear me?"

Jaycob's muffled voice came from behind. Mac tried to turn his head around to catch even a glimpse of his friend, but to no avail. A blaster stock connected with his face every time he tried to turn his head. His hands were still bound by the restraints so there was no way to catch himself whenever he pushed onto the ground. He faceplanted onto the cold, hard floor on at least three different occasions, the last one busting his nose. The warm blood soaked the cloth around his face, until eventually the fabric was pulled. The sudden flash of spotlights stung Mac's eyes, to the point where he had to shut them in order to avoid being blinded.

"Wh-what the hell is this?"

He murmured. The officer from earlier simply laughed.

"A test."

"A test of what?"

"Strength. In both yourself and your friend here."

On queue, Jaycob was forced down to his knees in front of Mac. Mac had to give the Commander some credit, Jaycob showed no signs of fear. But Mac knew him long enough to tell that deep down he was afraid. Just like him.


	3. Jon’Kil

Jon'Kil could not believe his eyes. The debris from the Y-Wing, that he had just slaughtered, floated around him. Their mission was in front of him, destroyed. Unless there was some sort of physical blueprint that the Resistance could get their hands on, he had just failed the entire operation. But there was an even bigger problem, Jaycob and Mac were missing. Jon'Kil tried his comms.

"Flyboy 3 to Flyboy 1, do you read me? I repeat, Mac, can you hear me?"

The reply was complete silence. Jon'Kil was alone, in the deep dark of space. He needed time to think.

_What do I do now?_

_Where could they be?_

_Where do I  go?_

To Jon'Kil, there was only one thing he could do. He needed to get to those shipyards. Perhaps Jaycob and Mac were there, already with the ship schematics in hand and ready to go. That was the best scenario anyway. The worst, he didn't want to think about. The idea of his squadmates taken prisoner, beaten, or dead made him anxious. Pushing his control yoke forward, he accelerated to the first open hangar.

(-)

Upon descending, he had his astromech scan the hangar and immediate surroundings. There were First Order operatives around, but they seemed too busy to notice an unscheduled landing in one of their many shipyard hangars. The Resurgent-class Star Destroyer seemed to be all quiet as well, not taking notice of the Chiss pilot as he pulled in. After exiting his seat, Jon'Kil hopped down to ground level and accessed his cargo hold. He grabbed his A280 blaster rifle, that he kept from that fateful mission to _Dathomir_ , and silently approached the blast door leading into the corridor. Hugging the wall, he slid his right ear over the barrier before trying to open it. The sounds on the other side were faint, but noticeable. There was some sort of applause, and rowdy yelling.

He figured that’s where his missing pilots were. Stepping back from the control panel, he dug into the console, splicing it. The door slid open as sparks flew, the inner mechanisms now fried. There was no turning back now. Slipping through the crevice, Jon'Kil simply followed the voices. The interior of the facility was a disaster. Loose wires hung from the ceiling, light panels remained burnt, and spare pieces of debris littered the ground. Sneakily inching closer, one foot over the other, he finally made his way to another hangar. Opening this door too, Jon'Kil was in awe as the missing X-Wing and A-Wing of his squadmates lay disabled.

"That can't be good."

Jon'Kil whispered to himself. He approached the two fighters and tried to find anything that could lead to the whereabouts of his team. He found it odd that Mac's astromech had also been disabled, and both cargo holds of the fighters remained closed. Surely, if Jaycob and Mac came here willingly, they would know to not go in without protection. Just as he suspected, Jon'Kil found both Jaycob's EL-16 rifle and Mac's NT-242 sniper rifle still in their respective storage containers. The only outcome Jon'Kil could think of, was that they were captured. However, he knew Jaycob still had his wrist-computer, so maybe he could use that to track them down. All he needed to do was get power back to their ships and use the NavComputer to trace the device's signal.

He tinkered around the A-Wing's controls, pushing several buttons and flipping several levers. But the systems were drained. He needed an external power source to jumpstart.

"If only Asha were here, she's way better with this crap then I am."

He scoured the hangar, knowing that there had to be some type of battery or power generator somewhere. The bay was dimly lit, so it was hard to see into the far crevices of the area. But luckily, Jon'Kil still had all five of his emergency suit-flares with him, so he sparked one and carried it with him to explore. There was an engineering bay, a separate room connected to the hangar that housed all of the mechanical knick knacks used for repairing and upgrading starfighters. The blast door leading inside lay open, letting Jon'Kil have free roam of the entire facility.

The external battery he was looking for was all the way in the back, behind racks and spare parts. A wave of relief came over him as he reached for the device. But suddenly, the sound of stormtrooper boots echoed in the distance. Using only audible queues, he tried to pinpoint their location. His heart sank as he realized they were in the hangar, the same room that had a discarded Resistance suit-flare Jon'Kil had dropped earlier. The only thing separating Jon'Kil from his utter demise was an open blast door, which the troopers were already approaching. He had to think of something fast, to either exterminate the soldiers quickly and quietly or an alternate exit to try and avoid them.

He scanned the room in the dark, not daring to spark another flare that would give away his position. Their menacing voices rambled as they raised the F-11D flashlights inside. Jon'Kil could have sworn that the spotlights passed by his face at least twice, but to his surprise, the stormtroopers were left clueless.

_Must be those buckets._

He thought, alluding to their vision-blocking helmets. Thankfully there were only two of them, so taking them out or avoiding them altogether were both viable options. But thinking back to the sight of his friends' disabled ships, he knew that the First Order was probably torturing them at this very moment. He wanted something deep down that he almost never wished in his life, and that was revenge. For all of those pilots back on _D'Qar_ and in the _Raddus_ , the First Order deserved a few losses and few lives taken. But all Jon'Kil had was his blaster rifle. If he used that, surely more troopers were storm this block, and not stop until he became another name in their cruiser's ready-room. He needed something silent, yet deadly. A blade perhaps. The pair of stormtroopers split off and began to cover more ground, inching closer and closer to Jon'Kil. He was backed into a corner with just a shelf of spare tools and parts, nothing even close to a blade anywhere in sight.

Then there was a sudden click. Not in the room, not around him at all, but inside his head. A strange aura came over him, cooling his adrenaline-pumping veins and slowing down his rapid heart rate. The tools on the shelf began to inch closer together, shaking as though some invisible hand was pushing them. Jon'Kil opened his eyes. The sudden recipe for a makeshift weapon, using the tools, had suddenly popped into his head. He grabbed some duct tape and combined a screwdriver to an electric-shock prod and powered it on. The faint buzz of the new device caught the attention of one of the troopers, triggering him to investigate.

Just as the stormtrooper was about to raise his flashlight and inevitably glow Jon'Kil's blue skin for his partner to see, Jon'Kil pulled the barrel of the blaster toward him. The trooper was caught off guard and stumbled forward, unaware of the sharp pain in his abdomen. Jon'Kil managed to jab right into a chink in the white plastoid armor, and with the twist of a knob, electrocuted the wound. The scream of the First Order soldier was more of a vibrating whisper, as Jon'Kil clenched his other hand tight around the stormtrooper's windpipe. The lifeless body slouched against Jon'Kil, with which he gently let hit the floor. His partner was in the dark, physically and metaphorically, unaware that another FO dog had been put down. Jon'Kil crept behind him as well, forcing the driver into the back of his neck.

The buzzing gargle of the trooper choking on his own blood, echoed in Jon'Kil's head as he exited the room with the battery. That gruesome, bloody mess was for the Resistance. Or at least that's what Jon'Kil told himself. Inserting the plug into the A-Wing socket, the interceptor systems turned back on, one-by-one. The NavComputer was the only system working at full capacity, but that's all he needed. Accessing the tracker implanted in Jaycob's gauntlet, he was taken aback as he realized the signal was coming from another hangar right next door. Unholstering his rifle, Jon'Kil rushed to his friends' aid.

(-)

Ducking behind cover whenever needed, Jon'Kil steadily made his way to the next hangar. Numerous stormtrooper boots hitting the ground was all around him; the facility was crawling with FO. He trailed behind a squad of them as they unlocked the blast door with their code-cylinders and slipped through. They didn't notice the pursuer as the ambient noise of soldiers and officers talking echoed throughout the room. One voice towered above them all however, as a First Order officer with a voice-magnifier was standing atop a stack of cargo crates.

"Welcome one and all, to the Gauntlet! Test your strength, in a fight to death! Let's see how long these Resistance scum can last!"

Crouched behind a parked TIE fighter, Jon'Kil analyzed the situation. This was about to get real ugly, real fast. He couldn't quite see his friends as they were behind a man-made wall shaped into a makeshift ring. The hooting and hollering of the crowd rung even louder as the first volunteers entered the ring. Wanting to get a better look, Jon'Kil climbed one of the many scaffolds leading to the TIE fighter racks above. The maze of catwalks gave him a perfect birds-eye view without being seen. Looking down on the chaos, Jaycob and Mac could be seen back-to-back, with their fists readied. It was a simple two versus two matchup, with the stormtroopers equipped with nothing but their armor. Jaycob was the one to strike first, as he extended a lunging punch square into the nose of enemy. A loud crack followed as the fist chipped off a part of the visor. Mac ran up to his own target and launched a side-kick straight into the soldier’s abdomen. The stormtrooper flew backwards and landed on his back. It was a perfect opportunity for Mac to pin the dazed trooper to the ground and land several critical blows to the head.

The two stormtroopers were no match for the pilots, as they both lay unconscious. Jaycob and Mac were left exhausted, gasping for air. But they didn't get much of a break as two more troopers came from the circle, this time wielding stun batons. It was unfair advantage for the First Order, but Jon'Kil would expect nothing more from the scum.

"Alright you pricks, let's see how fair it is with two holes in your backs."

He whispered, looking down his scope. Now, he just had to wait for the right moment. He knew that after he pulled the trigger, his position would be known and hell would rain down upon him. But he hoped that it would be enough time for his squadmates to escape, or at least find a weapon. If they were going to go down, they should try to take some FO dogs with them. The stun baton troopers both swung at the pilots heads, Jaycob and Mac both ducking under the slow attack. They swiftly countered, Jaycob striking a soldier's pelvic region and Mac throwing a punch to the other's left knee. Jaycob's trooper dropped the baton and grasped at his now-tender crotch. Mac's trooper fell as the target knee buckled, opening another spot for a flurry of head shots. Jaycob picked up the dropped baton and went around his enemy's back. With all of his might, he lifted the club above his head and slammed it on top of the former-carrier's skull.

Jon'Kil cringed as an ear-splitting static crack, echoed above the rowdy audience. Mac retrieved his attacker's baton as well, readying it for the next wave. Jon'Kil was impressed by how much stamina the pair had. They were bloodied and sweating, but showed no signs of stopping. Three more stormtroopers approached from the ring, two armed with batons and one with an executioner's laser axe. The loud cackle of the energy powering on within the large weapon, sent goosebumps down Jon'Kil's spine. Unlike the batons, the axes had the ability to sever limbs, electrocute, and kill. Jon'Kil aimed at the head of the wielder and readied his trigger-finger.

Jaycob and Mac were taken aback by the axe as well, steadily backing up until they reached the edge of the ring. The crowd behind them yelled angrily and pushed them back in. Twirling his baton, Mac charged at an opposing Baton Trooper. They clashed bats and went into an endless cycle of attacking and blocking. Jaycob on the other hand, held his baton like a spear, and threw it into the other Baton Trooper's chest. The stormtrooper was launched back, dropping his own baton to the ground. But as Jaycob reached for it, a swing from the Axe Trooper grazed his arm.

Now left empty-handed, Jaycob had to jump, roll, and dive to dodge all of the incoming attacks. Mac struggled with his trooper, as he was met with a electrical strike to the abdomen. The pilot was launched into the crowd-wall, only to be pushed to the ground. The Baton Trooper was about to land a finishing blow, but not before Jaycob shifted focus and tackled him to the ground. The sudden attack from his friend gave Mac enough time to retake his baton and defend the Axe Trooper's strike aimed at Jaycob's back. Now with their enemies switched, the pilots had to recover fast. Jaycob was able to subdue his trooper with a slow, methodical choke of the electrical baton to the throat. Once he collapsed the trooper's windpipe, the number advantage was in their favor. The Axe Trooper swung wildly, trying to take out his competition fast, but it ended up just being sloppy.

With synchronized precision, Jaycob and Mac struck the Axe Trooper's knees, working their way up until they both swung at the neck. The stormtrooper faceplanted into the ground hard, triggering the crowd to respond with a wave of boo's.

"You'd think they'd be entertained."

Jaycob joked through strained huffs of air. Mac smiled.

"Yeah, still not fans of our work."


	4. Jaycob

Jaycob stood, anxiously glancing at his surroundings, trying to spot the next contestants before they got the jump on him. He was panting, totally drained from the fight that had just occurred. The crowd was booing at every turn, wishing their precious, well-trained stormtroopers won the battle. But Jaycob wouldn't let them win that easily. The attacks now came more frequently and out of nowhere. Audience members crept from behind the pair or pilots to plant a hit from behind, then they would scurry off back toward the crowd. Jaycob was growing more irritated by the moment.

_What the hell am I doing here?_

He thought, totally losing sight of the mission they were sent here for in the first place. The Y-Wing. That stupid bomber. He had to get to the prototype before Dameron sent a raiding party to the shipyards, risking more Resistance lives than needed. But one question arose in Jaycob's head that sent him into a long period of contemplation. Where was Jon'Kil? His Chiss wingman wasn't captured, and he surely wasn't dead. Or at least he hoped.

Another hit-and-run attacker charged at Jaycob again, but this time he saw it coming. Quickly turning around, he kicked the trooper's legs from underneath him causing him to trip. Then with all of his might, Jaycob raised the stun baton above his head and smashed the FO operative's ribs. A loud scream of agony came through the trooper's helmet, but was only met with another heavy strike. Jaycob was showing no remorse to his victims, with every trooper he killed being a life avenged for the Resistance. What sickened Jaycob the most though, was that he was almost enjoying it.

The long train of thought ended abruptly as another trooper landed a baton strike to Jaycob's back. His body smacked the ground right next to the disabled laser axe. Summoning every ounce of energy he had left, he grabbed it and recovered back to his feet. The familiar crackle of the electrical circuits powering on, gave Jaycob the last punch of adrenaline to charge at the Baton Trooper. He sliced at his enemy with unexpected speed, tearing off the soldier's right arm and left leg. Then with a final war cry, Jaycob shoved the hefty weapon blades into the trooper's chest, marking the final act of resistance Jaycob would show before he was killed. Now slouched onto his knees, the artificial gravity felt unbelievably powerful, as Jaycob could not even lift his head.

The only reason he did was because the officer from earlier had pulled it from behind, making Jaycob look at his friend, as he too was forced to his knees. Mac's busted nose still dripped fresh blood onto the hangar floor.

"Mac...stay with me buddy. The Resistance won't forget us."

He said weakly. But Mac looked like he couldn't hear a thing. Both pilots bruised and beaten, prepared for the end. The same crackle of the laser axe powered on behind Jaycob, the air around his neck becoming unbearably hot.

"We hope they won't, Commander Flesio. After all, we're going to broadcast your execution for all to see anyways, so they can rewind the tape as many times as they want."

Jaycob scoffed.

"I don't think they'll take too kindly to that."

"I don't give a kriff what they think. You and your little terrorist organization has caused more problems for the galaxy than you know. All those lives on Starkiller Base, and blood is on your hands."

"Technically, their on my interceptor's hands. I didn't really kill them, but my laser cannons surely did."

A slow sarcastic laugh from the officer sent goosebumps down Jaycob's spine.

"You mean that piece of junk you flew in while you were Blue Leader?"

Jaycob's eyes widened. How did he have all this information?

"Oh please, I know all about you Commander."

"I'm flattered, truly, but this doesn't prove anything. Anyone can find that information."

"Hmmmm, perhaps something a little more personal then."

The officer tapped away at a datapad.

"Perhaps, this little trip to Pippip 3 means something?"

Jaycob clenched his fists as he tried to show no sign of the planet meaning anything. But he couldn't help himself. The memories of Tallie flooded his brain, as glimpses of his wife flashed every time he blinked. D'Qar. The Raddus. The hangar. Her farm. All windows into a time that didn't feel distant, as if it all happened yesterday. He ached to hold her again, the way he did on the hospital bed right before the attack. He could faintly recall the way her skin felt, how warm her lips were when they met his, and the sound of her laugh that always made him smile.

The nostalgia almost made Jaycob forget his current situation. But the officer breathing down his neck made sure he didn't.

"Interesting...we have a file here for a Captain Lintra. Does that name ring a bell, Commander?"

Jaycob began to sweat, stuttering over his words.

"N-no. I-I've only s-seen her during, uh, Starkiller."

Mac's eyebrows furrowed as he silently told Jaycob to just shut up. The officer picked up the association quickly and dug in.

"Who was she, Commander? A colleague? Squadmate? Friend? Or...perhaps something more?"

Jaycob blankly stared down, speechless.

"Well that's a shame, it really is, because it also says here that she's 'KIA'. Wait what? She's-she's dead?"

Jaycob knew the officer was enjoying himself, but he wouldn't let it get to his head. Deep down, he knew that this was some sick strategy to get him to talk. But the sting in his heart still burned. He wished she were still here.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're letting up. Noble, but foolish. Looks like we'll have no choice but to execute you."

"Do what you must. Just know, the Resistance will have a target on your back after you send that transmission."

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

"Ok well before I go, I never caught your name. Mind if you give me that so I know who to haunt as a ghost?"

The officer snickered.

"Even if it is terribly annoying, I have to admire your attitude. Feeling the need to crack jokes in times of turmoil."

"It's a pilot thing."

"Oh is it? The Resistance standards for a pilot must not be high then."

"Your point?"

"I've got a new idea. Why don't we finish this like men. Pilot to pilot?"

Jaycob's glare seemed more hateful now. Nonetheless, he kept his gleeful composure.

"Still no name, bud."

"Right. Does Elrik Vonreg sound familiar?"

(-)

The Red Ace. One of the most notorious pilots in the First Order, it now made sense why he didn't look familiar as he was never seen without his helmet. Now, he stood triumphantly in front of Jaycob, with his signature red pilot gear exchanged for standard officer garments. Jaycob knew of him and his missions, but has never been able to see him or his fighter with his own eyes. The bright red TIE interceptor was said to have struck fear into every Resistance pilot, even Poe.

"The Red Ace. I'm starstruck."

Jaycob said sarcastically. The executioner raised him to his feet and untied his restraints. Left massaging his wrists, Jaycob began to walk in a clockwise circle, skimming the man-made wall with his left shoulder. He stared at the opposing pilot as he too walked the same direction. Cracking his knuckles, Vonreg flashed a devious grin at him.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Commander."

"I can't say the same, Baron. If only our encounter was in the skies, I'd scatter you and your fighter across my windshield. Then I'd have some footage to show the Resistance on repeat."

"You are blinded by your ego yet again. Perhaps if the Resistance learned from this trait, Captain Lintra would still be alive."

The sound of her name set Jaycob's emotions on overdrive, anger and hatred totally engulfing his body. He ran at Vonreg, sending a powerful jump-punch in his direction. The baron dodged the expected attack quickly, countering with a jab and cross to Jaycob's face. The hits landed, and momentarily dazed him. Stumbling backward, Vonreg swung to more connecting abdomen shots and a kick to the head. Jaycob got back up fast, the anger for Tallie still in control. He fired off two more punches to the ace's abdomen, both blocked, and swung his back leg up for a strong round kick to the head. The last strike came as a surprise for Vonreg as he was the one to stumble back.

Jaycob saw the opening for another attack and went for it, elbow-striking the baron across the face. Saliva and blood shot into the air like a mist, hitting the white stormtrooper armor behind him. The ace did not take long to recover however, answering back with a hook to Jaycob's head and stomach. He fell backward gasping for the lost air from his lungs. Vonreg mounted his prey and began landing head shots. Jaycob was unable to block every jab, as his vision now began to turn red. Jaycob's nose was flooding, the fresh blood raining onto the floor beneath him. Every strike sent Jaycob's head into a loop, the sudden pressure in his skull becoming excruciatingly painful.

Right fist. Left fist. Right fist. Jaycob could barely take it anymore. Left fist. Right fist. He began to grow weak, his arms failing to block effectively. Left fist. Right fist. Left fist. Each hit sending a small bright spotlight into his retinas. Right fist. Left fist. Images of Jaycob's past began to replace the glow. Right fist. Tallie, laying on his shouler. Left fist. Jaysen, playing with the Sabacc cards. Right fist. D'Qar, the base and the Resistance. Left fist. The Raddus, the hangar catching fire. Right fist. A blaster bolt, fired from an A280.

With the faint red glow, it was over. The pounding in his brain ceased, and the constant punches stopped coming. He was left dizzy, his head spinning as he was suddenly sliding across the floor. The repeated sound of blaster fire now echoed in his ear drums, paired with yells from the stormtroopers. He managed to open his only eye that wasn't swollen, seeing white blurs hit the ground.

"Hey, Jaycob. Stay with me buddy, we're getting out of this. Jon'Kil's here."

His wingman. Jaycob's blurry vision began to focus, the sight of his friend on the catwalks above, firing random shots to the enemies below. However with every shot he fired, five to six more returned. He was heavily outnumbered. Mac finally let Jaycob go behind the cover of a cargo crate, retrieving an F-11D from the box. He began to fire at the crowd, pinching the group of FO in between two sources of blaster bolts. In a drastic attempt to save his teammates' skin, Jaycob raised his wrist-computer from his numb arm. He shakily twisted a knob and tapped a series of buttons. He established a connection to his A-Wing, signalling his exact location to his NavComputer. Supporting himself with his elbows, Jaycob peaked over the cargo crate to see the crowd of stormtroopers now gaining ground. Jaycob reached for one of his suit-flares and sparked it. The red smoky glow flew through the air as he chucked it in the middle of the group.

That's when the hangar ray-shield warped. Jaycob's A-Wing flew into the hangar and hovered above them, without a pilot. The empty interceptor opened a blanket of laser fire onto the flare and the surroundings around it. Stormtroopers and officers flailed across the room, the sudden air support catching them by surprise. Some brave soldiers try to fire back, but to no avail. It was a small arms versus an entire ship. Mac stopped firing himself and focused on dragging Jaycob out.

"Chiss, let's get the hell out of here!"

Mac yelled out.

"Right behind you!"

(-)

The next thing Jaycob knew, he was back in the cockpit of an X-Wing. He knew it wasn't his, so either Jon'Kil or Mac gave up their fighter so he could recover. Coincidentally, they were nowhere to be found. The only light in the hangar came from the dim NavComputer screen that displayed a message in aurebesh. It read:

_Hunting for bomber._

Jaycob rolled his eyes to express his irritation in his teammates leaving him, but doing so caused his swollen left eye to hurt. His entire body was sore, his face stinging in different regions. There was dried blood trailing from his nose, across his mouth, and all over his jumpsuit. Reaching for inside his vest, Jaycob pulled out Tallie's scarf remnant to seek some kind of comfort in his current state. His friends were somewhere in this maze of a facility, on the search for the physical schematics of the Y-Wing, most likely with a whole platoon of stormtroopers on their tail.

He sat up in the seat, clenching his stomach, peaking over the flight controls and out onto the hangar floor. His A-Wing, along with the other X-Wing, lay on the metal floor with their landing gear fully extended. Jaycob was left confused seeing that even after the ion attack from the prototype, the ships still had power. But two cords connected to an external power generator quickly justified this conclusion. He was unaware of exactly how much time had passed since he fell unconscious, but he knew that he took a beating. The Red Ace was as much of threat with his fists as he was with his TIE interceptor.

Raising his wrist-computer, he opened the protective flap. Tallie's picture still lay there to greet him, and the battery percentage was still in a non-critical state. He was able to open the cockpit without much trouble, climbing down the ladder somewhat with ease. He slowly walked to his A-Wing and opened his cargo hold. Retrieving his EL-16, he had to find his brothers, even if it meant scouring the entire facility injured. The blast door leading out was suspiciously stuck open, the access panel left smoking.

"The boys really left a mess of things, huh?"

He told himself. He was grateful that Mac and Jon'Kil saved him from his brutal demise, but now it was time to return the favor. He passed the doorway and looked both directions down the left and right corridors. A plethora of blaster bolt holes littered the hallway on the latter, so he figured that's where they came from. He cautiously made his way down the left, raising his rifle into any corners before turning into them. The light panels were flickering and the floor was covered in dirt, dust, and grease. But as he went further and further down the corridors, he began to regret it, now realizing that he was wandering aimlessly without a true idea of where to go. Since his crew took off to find the schematics, the shipyards manufacturing archive would probably be the best bet.

He pulled up a crude map of the facility on his wrist and examined it. He was going the correct way so far, the archives lying just beyond the hallway he was already in. He eased up with every step he took, sensing no sign of any First Order around. Distant shouts from unfamiliar voices could be heard echoing behind him, but they weren't loud enough to warrant any true concern. At the quick pace he was going at, he would reach the archives before the people behind him did.

He kept his rifle raised in one hand as he opened the door with the other. Swiftly scanning the area for any threats, Jaycob relaxed as there were none. The lights automatically turned on as he entered, the shelves of datafiles and datapads were scattered messily. Cobwebs hung from the corners and stacks of written-on paper were sprawled across the floor. The one-generation-old computers let out a faint hum as they turned on. Jaycob tapped away at one of screens and opened the folder titled, Experimental. Numerous rows of files expanded across numerous screens. Jumbles of mechanical parts crowded Jaycob's vision as he tried to find the bomber. It was like finding a needle in a haystack; he was going to need some help. Fortunately, that's when Mac and Jon'Kil burst into the room.

"Where have you been?"

Jaycob exclaimed angrily. He found it completely unbelievable that he was able to reach the archives before they did. Mac was the one to justify their untimeliness.

"Well sorry we don't have a fancy gauntlet with the shipyards blueprints on it. We had to find this the old-fashioned way."

"And what does that mean, exactly?"

Jon'Kil twirled a weird-looking tool in his hand that sparked with every rotation. Blood dripped off the tip and onto his boots.

"You don't wanna know."

He reassured. Placing the makeshift weapon on his utility belt, Jon'Kil joined Jaycob at the console. Mac shut the blast door behind him and locked it. He anxiously walked back and forth as he glanced at each computer screen, trying to find even a glimpse of the prototype schematics. Numerous blueprints and datasheets flashed before his eyes, yet somehow he spotted it.

"Stop!"

He yelled, causing the other two to freeze. Mac squeezed himself in between and tapped at one of the tabs. The information of the Y-Wing exploded in size, pushing aside all other folders. The three-dimensional model of the bomber floated as the connected holoprojector displayed the image onto the blank space above them.

"There's our ship."

Jon'Kil added, beginning the file transfer sequence onto the external drive he brought. The download marker barely reached two-percent before a klaxon was triggered. The illuminated light panels began to flash red, and the voice of an automated narrator alerted the entire station of invaders. Jon'Kil cursed as he pulled his A280 out once again. Mac unstrapped his NT-242 sniper from his back and checked the wall behind them, Jaycob following. It was the only wall with a window, which overlooked one of the shipyard construction depots. A handful of TIE fighters, troop transports, and stormtroopers littered the region, all taking notice at the sudden announcement. Jaycob's jaw dropped at the sight of the miniature army.

"Of course they had a security firewall! Come on Jaycob, we gotta buy some time for that download. Mac can stay here and use this spot as a sniper's nest."

"Right behind you."

Jaycob replied as he followed the Chiss back out the door.


	5. Mac

Mac watched as his two teammates vanished back into the maze of corridors. Turning around, Mac peeked through the window again. The depot was covered in white, stormtroopers quickly flooding in. There were two staircases on opposite sides of each other, leading to the corresponding archive doors. Jaycob was seen taking cover by the left side while Jon’Kil on the right. Even with the higher ground, they were fighting an uphill battle. Mac took one last glance at the data transfer, only to see _5-percent_ displayed across the holotable field. Then, he rested the barrel of his sniper rifle on the window pane. A stormtrooper squad leader raised his right fist in the air in preparation for the _open-fire_ order. But instead of triggering the exchange of blaster bolts, he spoke words of negotiation.

"Resistance terrorists! We have a proposal that would benefit you greatly."

Mac rolled his eyes. His whole team knew what was about to come. A polite request for their surrender as they gave up the schematics for the Y-Wing and the Resistance's goal with the stolen information. If they made it that far, the next step was being taken to a star destroyer where they would likely be tortured, killed, and jettisoned into space. With their experience, the trio was familiar with this common First Order practice and have even used it in their favor to some degree. Mac remembered back when he first joined, being sent on a low-clearance recon mission to some unknown planet in the Mid Rim. First Order got the jump on him and next thing he knew he was on his knees with his hands raised in the air. The only thing that kept him alive was time. As a stormtrooper approached to apprehend him, Mac used him as a human shield, covering him while he detonated his explosive counter-measures. He escaped without a scratch.

Now looking back at his current situation, he thought maybe the strategy would work again. He raised his comlink to his mouth and pressed the input button. A short click of static erupted from the speaker as he was now in contact with Jaycob and Jon'Kil.

"Flyboys, I think I've got an idea."

"Shoot."

Jaycob replied.

"You see those catwalks up there?"

Mac asked, alluding to the long catwalks that led to more TIE fighters; a shared similarity to the hangars. Just in case his team didn't see it, Mac switched on his barrel-mounted laser marker. A light-green dot flurried around, like a _Rodian blood fly_ circling it's prey. Jaycob and Jon'Kil both traced the dot with their eyes, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah Mac, Jaycob and I see it. What's the plan?"

"If you buy me enough time, I think I can set up some sort of trap above these guys."

"And leave the data transfer unguarded? You're insane!"

"It's a risk, but you got a better idea?"

"I don't know, Jaycob is your A-Wing ready for another run?"

"No, the auto-pilot program crashed. It only has one in the tank."

"See, Chiss? No other choice."

A long silence followed as Jon'Kil and Jaycob were left speechless. Jon'Kil slightly shook his head as he knew Mac was right.

"Fine. What do you want us to do?"

Mac smirked as he left his sniper's nest. He backtracked to the nearest hangar and retrieved two fuel canisters. Dragging one with each hand, the heavy metallic tubes would be strategically placed on the supports of the catwalks, then detonated, causing the whole network of railing and panels to fall onto the enemies below. However, Mac would need way more than just two canisters to do the trick. He had to take multiple trips, and he had to do it alone or else the First Order would catch on. Through the comms, Jaycob was the first to reach out to the First Order.

"Benefit us? Are you sure about that?"

Jaycob still didn't lower his weapon, trying to stall. All he had to do was give Mac enough time to set the trap. Mac sprinted out of the archives and back into the hangar which housed their fighters. Jon'Kil had shown him the First Order ready-room where he had found the batteries, which also held the spare fuel canisters. Dragging two behind him, Mac had to peer around corners before turning, just in case any curious stragglers were around. He reached the catwalk in matter of five minutes, trying to lift each heavy tube over every step while trying to remain quiet at the same time. There was a total of eight supports that had to be destroyed in order for his plan to work, so this was going to take a while. He just had to hope Jaycob and Jon'Kil could keep the First Order talking and not shooting.

The first support was rigged with the explosives and Mac, rushed back to repeat the process yet again. He still peaked around certain corners for any enemies, but reached the hangar the second time undeterred. He grabbed two more canisters and lugged them back to the depot. The second support was successfully rigged, same with the third. On the way back from his third trip, he looked down at the depot floor where Jaycob and Jon'Kil were fortunately still holding their ground. Before exiting the archives again, he took a quick glance at the download process. _25-percent_ blinked blue on the holotable field.

"Just a quarter left, fellas."

He called in to his team. Exiting the archives for a fourth time, Mac couldn't help but worry. About Jaycob. About Jon'Kil. About the Resistance. About _Madelyn_. He thought deeply about what she had said to him before he left. It was a risky plan. But it seemed like the best way for their relationship to continue. While he jogged down the hallways, he day-dreamed back to their time together.

"Let's run away, far from here."

He remembered her words exactly.

"We can find work on some backwater planet and just live together, knowing that we're not in a constant state of danger. Without a target on our backs. Without war and death. Without the responsibility that comes with the Resistance."

"I don't know, Doc. These people are our family, we can't just leave them."

"We can start our own... _family_."

Mac was shocked when she told him this, especially when he heard the slight reluctance in her tone. She had no idea what she was even saying. With being one of the most important roles in the Resistance, a doctor, he'd thought she'd take more thought into something like this. But it made sense nonetheless, since they were at a club. On a backwater planet that barely had any life, they drank their inner problems away and ranted to each other about their hardships. She was only three shots in when her words began to slur and she got touchy with Mac. She playfully, and drunkenly, danced on him, taking his hands into hers as he dragged him to the dance floor. Mac didn't oppose any of it, knowing that she wouldn't remember any of this in the morning.

She pulled him by his collar, their faces naturally gravitating toward each other. The faint scent of the hospital wing - a mix of rubbing alcohol, bacta, and hand sanitizer - still lingered in the air around her. But Mac didn't care, as his hands slowly made their way lower. From her back, he followed a vertical line down until he reached her bottom. Her breaths began to grow rapid, she replying by wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders. They gazed into each other's eyes, suddenly losing awareness of everything around them. Pretty soon everything around them vanished, leaving Madelyn and Mac as the only people in the room. Without thinking twice, he lifted her off the ground and pulled her in closer. Mads wrapped her legs around his lower back as she turned her loose grip around his shoulders into a tight pull around his neck.

When Mac closed his eyes, the only feeling he had left in his body came from his lips. But when he had opened his eyes again, he was back in the hangar ready-room, two more fuel canisters behind him. He tried to shake the memory of her, instead focusing on the task at hand. He'll see her soon enough.

(-)

Before exiting the archives for the eighth and final trip, Mac took one more look at the data transfer. _Ninety-five_ percent blinked triumphantly on the holotable, giving Mac a sudden jolt of hope. All he had to do was plant the last two explosive containers and spring the trap. But he knew it was easier said then done, and it was about to get a lot more complicated as Jon'Kil called over comms.

"Mac, we got a problem. We're getting surrounded from all sides, they're going to go the long way around."

"Blast, how many of them?"

"I don't know, maybe fifteen? At least."

"Copy, thanks for the heads-up. I'll be careful."

Cutting the transmission, Mac's light jog to the hangar turned into a full-on sprint as the sound of stormtrooper boots clapping down the corridors echoed behind him. He puffed heavily upon entering the ready-room, almost tripping over two First Order corpses that were leaking blood all over the floor. Retrieving the final two canisters, Mac's boots suddenly got a new paint job as he stepped in the puddles of the bodily fluid, leaving a red footprint behind him. On this trip, Mac was a little less cautious and turned corners without first looking for FO, focusing on just reaching the archives in time to save his teammates. But this was a mistake. One hallway away from the archives, a squad of seven stormtroopers stopped across the way. Mac was left standing in the middle of the hall, the archives now an equal distance away from the stormtroopers as to him.

He didn't dare make any sudden movements as several F-11D blasters were trained right on him. The trooper with a red pauldron spoke first.

"Freeze, rebel scum. Drop the canisters and put your hands in the air."

Mac rolled his eyes at the naive command. He ignored the order and tapped at his comlink.

"Guys, I've been compromised. Shoot the canisters."

"What do you mean? We told you to be careful!"

"I know, Jaycob. But just shoot the damn things. You'll still be able to take down the majority of them, just pick off the stragglers before-

The shower of blaster fire cut off Mac as he dodged back behind the corner. He dropped both fuel canisters, letting the fuel roll down the corridor toward the troopers. Unstrapping his NT-242, he rolled onto his belly and out of cover. He took aim at the cylinders and fired. The dark green laser bolt struck one of the tubes, sending a blueish light all around the troopers. A loud explosion followed, engulfing the First Order soldiers in flames and sending helmets, armor plating, and limbs all over the place. The ground shook violently right after, signalling that Jaycob had done the same. Propping himself back upright, Mac ran into the archives.

The first thing to greet him was a solid-green " _download completed_ " prompt above the consoles. The window looking out onto the depot was a grim black, a thick cloud of smoke being all that was visible. A nervous sweat began to form on Mac's forehead as no sign of his squad was seen. He turned back toward the console and unplugged the datapad from the computer, nervously glancing around him for any friendly or enemy contact. He reached for his comlink once more.

"Guys, you still with me? Jaycob? Jon'Kil?"

A coughing fit came in response, followed by some much-needed assurance from Jon'Kil.

"Yeah, we-we're still here. Don't know if all of those containers were needed though."

"Yeah Mac, that was a bit overkill."

Mac let out a sigh of relief as the doors, connecting the archives to the depot, opened. The group all gathered around the console admirably. The Y-Wing schematics were now in their hands. All they needed to do now was bring it home.


	6. Jon'Kil

The blaring klaxon around the facility finally died out as the group rushed to the hangar. The two X-Wings and one A-Wing were still in their respective spots, representing a sense of security in an overwhelmingly hostile environment. The three pilots basically jumped into their starfighters, the datapad now safely in Mac's possession. Jon'Kil skipped all unnecessary warm-ups and practically blasted out of the hangar.

"Let's get home, please."

He called in, wanting Mac to relay the correct return-coordinates so they could just go home. Jon'Kil was shaking his leg anxiously, his hand hovering over the lightspeed lever. The few seconds it took for Mac to finally relay them felt like minutes, and the journey back to their cruiser which took minutes, felt like hours. Kaydel guided the trio safely into their hangar and congratulated them on their decisive victory. Jon'Kil extended his landing gear and gracefully touched down, removing his helmet and gloves after opening his cockpit. He didn't wait for the engineers to give him a step ladder, instead jumping onto the hangar floor himself and sprinting to the ready-room.

Opening the door to an empty room, he was apparently the first to reach it. He steadily walked to his locker and opened it, tossing his gloves inside and sitting on the accompanying bench. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, completely exhausted from the events that had just occurred. His eyes were heavy and it took all of his energy to even unstrap his boots. He was on the verge of dozing off when two arms wrapped around him from behind. It was Asha.

"Hey, Flyboy."

Jon'Kil turned around and pulled the Zeltron into his lap. She giggled as she sat down, laying her head in the crevice between his shoulder and chin. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, just enjoying the warmth that radiated between their bodies. They both smelled terrible, both of them spending almost their entire day in a hangar of some sort. But they disregarded each others' foul stench in order to be together closely. Asha looked up at him, to which Jon'Kil caressed some stray locks of hair that were blocking her eyes. He had so much to tell her.

"I'm dying to hear about your mission. Tell me about it."

"Well what do you wanna know?"

"All of it, dummy. You guys look battered, especially Jaycob and Mac."

Jon'Kil thought back to himself on the catwalk, observing some type of fighting contest between endless waves of stormtroopers and the pilots. The gruesome sounds of bones breaking, blood splattering, and bodies hitting the floor were still fresh in his mind. Then he took a look at his hand. The dried blood on his palm and knuckles from when he had assassinated those two troopers in the ready-room. The makeshift device he had created still swung in his jumpsuit pocket, banging against the bench as he moved. Asha reached her hand into his pocket and pulled it out, the smell of burnt flesh following behind. Jon'Kil crinkled his nose and looked down, ashamed.

Asha turned it around in her hand, circling her fingers around the spike. She flicked the switch and was greeted with the static jolt of lightning moving up and down the prod. Her eyebrows rose, as she was clearly fascinated by the creation. Then, she looked back to Jon'Kil.

"You...made this?"

Jon'Kil didn't want to answer. Even when they first met on Dathomir, he's never displayed such violence and anger around her. The weapon she held now was in exact representation of just that. He was scared of what she'd think of him.

"Ummmm, n-no. What? Heh, um that was...Jaycob's."

"And what is it exactly?"

"I...have...no clue."

Asha smirked.

"You are a terrible liar."

"Look, it's nothing ok? Just some spare parts I found at the shipyards."

Asha rubbed some of the dried blood off.

"And this? I doubt you had time to give it a _proper_ paint job."

"You know...just some...modifications."

"Mmhm, right. Why hide this? What did you think I would say?"

"I don't know...it's just bad. It was gruesome. I killed those troopers, with that... _thing_. Their blood is on my hands, literally!"

Asha scoffed and stood back up. She extended her hand to him, gesturing them to leave the room.

"Ok Flyboy, come on."

"Wh-where are we going? Aren't you disgusted?"

"Jon'Kil, this is war. Of course there's going to be death. I'm more disgusted about your body odor than your stories, you need a shower."

Jon'Kil felt a little relief knowing that Asha didn't feel the way he thought she would.

"Hey, you don't smell exactly perfect either."

"Which is why, we're going to the refreshers!"

"Wait wait, like...together?"

"Stop talking before I change my mind."

(-)

Jon'Kil was wrapping a towel around Asha as they got out of the shower. He looked at the door panel, which she had spliced locked. What they were doing was highly unprofessional and wouldn't end well if word got out. They each had to get back into their new clothes quickly and leave at separate times in order to lessen any suspicion by any bystanders that could possibly be outside. Jon'Kil zipped up jacket and observed affectionately as Asha was struggling to zip hers.

He smiled and approached. He slowly pulled the latch upward until ther Zeltron's back was covered once more, planting one more affectionate kiss on the back of her neck. Asha turned around and cupped her hands around Jon'Kil cheeks. Their lips came together again before a knock came from the refresher door. A quick shot of adrenaline surged up Jon'Kil's spine causing him to gasp.

"Hello? Why's this door jammed? Is anyone in there?"

"Uhh, in a second! The panel needs to be readjusted, it'll open soon."

He called back, trying to buy more time for Asha to grab all of her belongings. They were in the male refreshers after all. Asha had to stop herself from laughing at the entire situation, seeking out a place to hide. Jon'Kil was worriedly searching and searching until he found a locker. But it was a small compartment, and he didn't want to force Asha into a situation so similar to her time on Dathomir. But before he could find another hiding spot, his significant other brushed passed him and slid into the cabinet.

"W-wait, Asha no. You don't have to-"

"It's alright Jon'Kil, I'll be ok."

"B-but you're visions. I don't want you to go through those again."

Asha sighed, gloomily looking down in remembrance.

"I'll be alright Jon'Kil, just promise me something."

"Anything. Just tell me."

"Don't leave me in here."

Jon'Kil's insides felt cold. Just the thought of leaving her made him feel empty inside. That was the absolute last thing he ever wanted to do. He planted one last kiss on her forehead and shut the locker door. He quickly walked to the entrance and released the lock on the door. The door slid open only to reveal Poe waiting impatiently, tapping his foot on the ground and arms crossed. He raised his eyebrows and quickly greeted the Chiss.

Poe kept the conversation short, rushing to the closest stall to relieve himself. Jon'Kil just stood idly, watching his every move. The general was washing his hands when he realized that the observer. Jon'Kil met Poe's eyes in the mirror.

"Uhh, could I help you Jon'Kil?"

"Uhhh, n-no."

"Ok..."

Poe started, making his way toward the lockers.

"...then what're you doing?"

Dameron was getting closer and closer to the locker that Asha was in, and with every step he took, Jon'Kil's heart skip a beat. He grew worried as the general approached his locker. But luckily, Poe stopped right next to Asha's hiding spot and opened the cabinet next to her. An exhale of relief escaped Jon'Kil as he slouched on a bench.

"Sorry Poe, but that mission took a toll on me."

He lied. Poe nodded in reassurance.

"I know what you mean, believe me. It's not easy being a pilot."

"That's...an understatement."

The pair chuckled. Soon after, Poe gathered his belongings and left the refreshers. Jon'Kil rushed back to Asha's cabinet and yanked open the door. She was in a hugging her knees to her chest, keeping her head buried in her legs. But when she looked up, there were no tears in her eyes. Just a smile on her face. Jon'Kil smirked.

"Miss me?"

"Desperately."

She raised her hand for Jon'Kil to pull her to back upright. He obliged, keeping her hand in his. He looked thoughtfully into her eyes, wondering how he could get so fortunate. From former First Order traitor with a corrupted relationship with a teammate, to a Resistance pilot now standing in front of a girl whom he loved, and had just returned from yet another stressful mission.

He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. This endless pattern of dodging death while simultaneously dishing out his own was tiresome to say the least. He couldn't catch a break. But fortunately, Asha was there to keep him from losing his mind. But now, he had to let her go. Before they got in trouble.

"Ok Asha, I'll check to see if the coast is clear."

"I think I can handle it, Flyboy. I'll talk to you soon."

Before Jon'Kil could peak his head out of the door, Asha brushed passed him and disappeared into the corridor.

(-)

Jon'Kil, Jaycob, and Mac were all recalled back to the bridge for a debrief of their mission. After some time to themselves, the trio were cleaned off and prepped for another mission. However, they still lacked sleep. The heavy eyes and dragging heads was evidence of this. General Dameron approached the group with a datapad in his hand, observing it critically.

"Alright guys, lay it on me. How'd it go? Judging by the lack of a Y-Wing in our hangar, I can only assume it didn't go to well."

"That's an understatement."

Jaycob replied, still nursing his jaw. Poe's eyes widened.

"Holy hell, you guys look terrible. Well, Mac and Jaycob do at least. Jon'Kil, you care to explain?"

The Chiss' eyes darted from his squad to the general ferociously. He didn't know why, but he was nervous. Yes, they were assigned a mission and they failed miserably. But, Poe would show some signs of sympathy wouldn't he? Especially if he knew the trouble they had to go through to even download the schematics.

"Uhh...it's a long story."

"And? We've got time."

The three pilots discussed the events of earlier and brought Poe up to speed in about an hour and a half. The group made emphasis to talk about going into combat with the prototype itself, the First Order fighting ring, and the holdout against waves of stormtroopers while waiting for the data download. Mac took out the plans and waved the device in the air. Poe grabbed it and inserted it into the holotable. Pages and pages of the Y-Wing's schematics flashed across the field, displaying the new weapons systems, engine thrusters, and passenger turret capabilities. Once again, it made Mac practically drool while Jon'Kil and Jaycob remained unimpressed. To Jon'Kil, it just looked like another bomber that could prove useful at taking down Resurgents, but nothing more. If the First Order were to create another Starkiller Base, or anything even similar to the scale. these ships wouldn't stand a chance.

"Well? Can we work with this?"

Jaycob asked.

"Mmm, I think so..."

Poe answered unsure.

"That doesn't sound to convincing, Poe."

Mac cut in.

"You guys did good work, this is valuable. But, we needed that prototype."

Jaycob rolled his eyes, but Jon'Kil chimed in before he could spit out a sarcastic comment.

"Poe, you have to understand. We did the best we could, that facility was crawling with FO. If you really want that ship so bad, we're going to need a whole attack fleet to stand a chance against those guys."

Poe crossed his arms and bit his lip, thinking.

"Look, the whole reason I needed the ship intact is so we could have an easier time replicating it for our fleet. I'm not saying you guys didn't do well, we have the means to create it. But, it's just going to take some time since our mechanics will have to start from scratch."

"I don't see the problem, you just said yourself that we have time."

Jaycob inserted. Poe shook his head and switched holotable displays.

"Ok, maybe that was an overstatement."


	7. Jaycob

The holotable displayed a new set of blueprints, this time marked all over with First Order insignia. This jumble of ship components and pieces were way more organized than that of the Y-Wing, but still hard to decipher nonetheless. Jaycob rubbed his chin in thoughtfulness. He still had no clue where Poe was leading with all of this. It just seemed like a classic example of Poe being melodramatic. Jaycob then looked at his comrades to see if they too shared the same expression, only to find Mac left speechless and confused, while Jon'Kil was the one nearly drooling in admiration. Jaycob scoffed at their switched faces.

"Now that is rich. You guys are literally the opposite of before."

Mac stopped studying the schematics and glanced at Jaycob.

"Uhhh, what're you talking about?"

"You know, when Poe showed us the Y-Wing. You were the one that knew exactly what it was, while Jon'Kil and I had no idea. But now, we're shown whatever this is and it's you and me who are confused."

Mac and Poe were not amused, while Jon'Kil ignored everything. The Chiss was still staring at the blueprints. He walked around the table, trying to observe the different parts and systems from a better angle. Jaycob rolled his eyes.

"Ok, Jon'Kil! Soooo are you gonna tell us what exactly we're looking at here? Or are you just gonna walk in circles all day?"

"Wh-what? Oh, yeah, sorry. As you guys know, I was former First Order. During my time in the ranks, I've witnessed a wide variety of projects that the FO had under works. When you pulled this up, I had trouble recognizing what it was because it did look familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Buuuut, I'm guessing you've figured it out, right?"

Poe asked. Jon'Kil nodded his head excitedly.

"It's a _TIE Echelon_!"

"A what now?"

"A new TIE variant, a transport. Also known as the TIE/es assault shuttle, I remember seeing it way back in the day when it was still in the prototype stage."

"So you're saying it's not in the prototype stage anymore?"

"Nuh uh."

"It's been mass produced by the First Order? Then how come we haven't seen it before today? Surely we would've destroyed a couple of these already."

Mac chimed in with a confident grin.

"Well technically, we have seen these before."

"The name doesn't ring a bell, Jon'Kil."

Jaycob reassured.

"Which is fine, but you and Mac have definitely _seen_ this ship."

Jaycob and Mac looked at each other even more perplexed than before.

"Yeah..."

Jon'Kil continued,

"...if I recall correctly, it was your mission to _Batuu_."

"Batuu...Batuu. The planet sounds familiar."

Poe agreed.

"As it should, since if you remember, you sent Jaycob and Mac there back when we were still scouting for a new planet for our base."

"Ohhhh! Black Spire Outpost, that's on there right?"

Mac remembered.

"Yup. A mess of a mission that was."

Batuu. Poe was right, the planet did sound familiar. But, Jaycob was still having trouble recollecting what had happened there.

"Yeah, I'm still drawing a blank. Mac, care to fill me in?"

"Really, Jaycob? How can you _not_ remember that mission?"

Jaycob shrugged.

"Ok well, you might wanna sit down or something. It's a long story."

(-)

Jaycob was sitting in the cabin of a civilian transport, a _StarSpeeder 1000_ to be exact. Registered under the _Star Tours_ travel agency, Poe thought it would be a good idea to arrive to the planet without Jaycob's starfighter since it was "too recognizable". Jaycob was dressed in his usual attire: orange jacket, brown pants, and black boots. He wore an additional cloak over it all, just to hide his holstered Glie-44 pistol and backpack. His wrist-mounted computer was still strapped to its usual spot as he raised his left forearm into view.

He tuned into the local Holonet channel and watched the program muted. Several images of First Order Resurgents hovering above the atmosphere appeared on the screen. Batuu was supposed to be a neutral planet, reliant on neither the Resistance or the First Order, but it looked as if the FO had already occupied the surface. The loud twin-ion engines could be heard even through the thick hull of the transport, and Jaycob let out a defeated sigh. He switched off the program and pinged Mac through his comms.

"Blast, Mac they're here."

He whispered, trying to avoid any passengers from overhearing. For all he knew, there could be undercover FO operatives in the transport. The method of eavesdropping was not uncommon for them. It took a while for Mac to respond, but once he finally did it was only to reassure Jaycob that he saw the strong FO presence as well.

"Yeah, I see them. I'll let Dameron know. Standby."

The shuttle finally touched down on one of the public landing platforms and the boarding ramp lowered. Jaycob's eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight fairly quickly as the rest of the passengers brushed past him. Right in front of him was the bustling marketplace of _Black Spire Outpost_. He followed the swarm of people walking toward the entrance, readying to trade their goods with the merchants. Numerous vendors called out to Jaycob as he approached their stands, only to be ignored. Screens were set up all around the marketplace, broadcasting the First Order occupation endlessly, sometimes interrupted by the standard FO propaganda and nonsense.

Some of the bystanders were afraid, the mere look on their faces giving it away. Those who couldn't care less just kept walking, paying no mind to the TIE fighters overhead or the squads of stormtroopers on patrol. Jaycob finally made it out of the marketplace only to be thrown into the center of the busy outpost, speeders and foot traffic alike made the streets cluttered. Jaycob had to push and sliver his way through the crowd if he were to get anywhere, and all he needed was a private place to re-establish communication with Mac. After a few more minutes of light-shoving and sliding through crowds, he arrived at a circular two-story building. A cantina.

He pressed the door release and entered the establishment. Few patrons looked up to see who the new visitor was, while the others didn't even realize someone had come in. Jaycob approached one of the open stand-in sports at the bar and called the attention of the bartender. It was an elderly lady and was, presumably, the owner of the place. She studied Jaycob as she walked up.

"I've never seen you in here before. You an off-worlder?"

Jaycob's eyes widened.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to me. I've been here for decades, yet I still remember all my customers. Whether one-timers or casuals, I remember them all."

"Good to know."

"Indeed. But these First Order fellows, I can't. They're always wearing those ridiculous white buckets, I can never tell them apart."

"Right, the First Order. What's your take on them anyway?"

"Personally?"

"Sure."

"I don't like them. But what can I do? I'm just a cantina owner."

"Do you know how everyone else feels about them?"

"Mmm, the public opinion is quite negative. After they wiped out our PDF, we've not been able to do much. Those pilots are the best fighters we had."

Jaycob was taken aback. Sure, the First Order had done occupations on unwanting planets just like this. But never has Jaycob heard of a time when an planet's entire defense force had been wiped. This was definitely a first. Jaycob ordered a drink and gulped it down fast, quickly ordering another right after.

"Well, I'm Jaycob. Good to meet you."

He extended his hand to the woman.

"Oga. Pleasure to meet you too, kid."

She took it.

"Say, you don't happen to know of anywhere I can make a call in private, do you?"

"Not too sure now, the First Order has planted bugs all over the damn place. But I'll tell you what, I have a storage room in the back where only I have access. If you promise to not steal anything and come right back out after you've made your call, you can use it."

"Deal. I won't be long."

Oga directed him to the storage room away from the main guest area and opened the door. Jaycob walked in and shut it behind him, once again raising his wrist to his mouth.

"Mac, it's Jaycob again. Any word from Poe?"

"Affirmative. He's sending a small squad to the planet to assist in the recon."

"How many we talking?"

"Four of us coming in, five with you."

"That's unnecessary don't you think? I can handle this myself, trust me."

"I know, Jaycob. But the general thinks it's best if you had backup."

"Alright fine, just you then."

"What?"

"Don't bring the whole party. I think we'd be able to get this done faster if it's just us. More people means more likely to be caught by FO."

"Alright, I'll try to convince him. Standby."

Around ten minutes or so passed until Mac returned.

"Well? What'd he say?"

"He was reluctant, but he approved. I'm on my way to the hangar, I'll see you soon."

"Sounds good, Mac."

(-)

Jaycob left the storage room and tipped Oga for her help. She was unexpectedly trusting to lend her private space to a complete stranger, and Jaycob had to commend her for it. She was just another civilian in the galaxy trying to make a living, and he wasn't going to stand in her way, it was none of his business. But it wasn't the First Order's either. Whatever happened on this planet, he was going to make sure Oga and her cantina were left untouched. However right as he was about to leave, a squad of stormtroopers entered the building, shoving a patron out of their way.

_It was their fault for standing there._

Jaycob re-entered his spot at the open bar and leaned forward against the table. He tried to avoid as much eye contact with the soldiers as possible, knowing that his face had probably been on their most-wanted list. He rested his head on his palm and tried to tilt his gaze away from the troopers as he ordered another drink. He caressed the side of his blaster pistol with his other hand, just to provide some sense of security for himself. Even if one of them recognized him, he'd have the drop on them and would be able to take down at least one before they even had a chance to draw their weapons.

Now, Jaycob just tried to run the situation through his head. He blasts one of the four stormtroopers dead, then what? The other three would pull their F-11D's from their holsters and open fire in his direction, probably striking several innocent civilians in the process. No, he couldn't have that. Trying to take cover in any part of the cantina was simply too dangerous for the people inside. He had to take the fight outside, if there was one. Jaycob still wanted to take the path of least violence if the situation even arose. Perhaps, he'd be taken prisoner. Wait in a cell until Mac came, realized he was missing, and be rescued. But with the reputation Jaycob had, the First Order would rather see him dead than alive. Also due to his seniority, the Resistance wouldn't send a small task force to rescue him either. The entire fleet would be here in minutes and start a full-on planetary battle, putting a lot more innocent lives at risk. Nonviolence was definitely the better option at the moment.

Jaycob ordered one more drink just to ease himself up a little bit. Oga graciously obliged, giving him another glass. He swallowed it quickly and ran through his metaphorical checklist of what to do when scouting for a new possible base location. Seeing as the First Order was already occupying the planet, one would think that establishing any base here would be beyond unreasonable. But at the same time, if done correctly, the Resistance would be able to operate right underneath the FO's nose. Nonetheless, Jaycob had several tasks to do before the planet would be deemed a viable option.

First - Establish direct communication with the Resistance, whether that be through personal comms or scrambled public comms. Being able to talk to the Resistance was an obvious but crucial step in a planetary scout. With this, you could easily report your findings, discuss strategies, or relay enemy command post locations. In order to do this, an operative on the surface must be able to speak to the Resistance clearly and without any interference. Jaycob would have to make sure the incoming and outgoing transmissions could be heard accurately.

Second - Place sensor beacons around places of activity, meaning cities, outposts, markets, and basically any place that had a lot of foot traffic. Jaycob brought eight of these beacons along with him, stored in his backpack. These weren't considered contraband in any way, hence why he was able to bring them aboard a public transport. But if the First Order even caught a whiff of the devices, unwanted suspicion would definitely arise. Jaycob had to put these sensors in populated areas, but have them hidden from plain sight.

Third - Spy on any enemy outposts in the area, if there were any. Luckily enough, Black Spire Outpost served as both a viable sensor placement and enemy scouting area. Stormtroopers were all over the place; in patrols, on speeder bikes, or even off-duty just roaming the streets without their helmets on. The First Order simply housed all of their equipment and vehicles in plain sight, and used the public landing pads to house their fighters and transports. It was a smart tactic, cutting off any supplies being delivered directly to the outpost, civilians resorted to landing on open patches of forest or smaller and distant landing pads miles away from the city center.

Fourth - Determine if the planet would be a good option for a new Resistance base. Seemingly the most boring task according to Jaycob, the choices were relatively simple. If there was FO presence that the Resistance couldn't work around, it's a no. But if the Resistance could undergo whatever they needed to, all with keeping themselves hidden from the FO, then yes. But this would take time. And now that it was only going to be Jaycob and Mac conducting the whole operation, they were going to need a lot of it.

"Mac to Jaycob, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear."

"I'm landing now."

"Copy, coordinates relayed."

"Received. Let's get to work." 


	8. Mac

The wood chips crunched underneath Mac's feet as he made his way out of the forest. He flew down with his X-Wing, but made sure not to make the stupid decision of wearing his orange jumpsuit as it resided mainly with the Resistance. Instead, he wore normal garments with a large cloak that hid everything underneath. He had a Glie-44 strapped to his right thigh and a datapad clenched in his left hand. A small map of the immediate area was displayed, with a solid blue dot pinging at the edge of the screen. That blue dot was Jaycob. On the map, it showed that he was dead center in the middle of Batuu's outpost, in some kind of circular structure. Mac took his comlink from his belt and pinged his partner.

"Jaycob, there's a lot of movement around here. Where are you exactly?"

"Oga's cantina, you can't miss it. It's across the street from the docking bay."

"Copy."

Mac terminated the transmission and continued his trek. He ended up at the start of the outpost marketplace, and reached a sign that read,

_Black Spire Outpost_

He quickly avoided all of the solicitors and made his way to the docking bay, now used for the First Order, and looked across the pathway. Surely enough, the circular building stood there in all of its triumph. The cantina.

_Of course he's here._

Mac walked through the sliding door and observed the layout of the place. The patrons didn't seem to sketchy, but the stormtroopers seated at the bar certainly did. Jaycob was a few spots away from them, and was waving for him to come over. Mac drew a long sigh and approached. A small glass slid right into his hand as Mac leaned on the counter. The sudden appearance of the drink startled him a bit, the bartender nodding her head as he looked up at her.

"Alright Jaycob, I'm here. It's just me. Have you started the process?"

"I mean, I contacted you. Doesn't that count as establishing communication with the Resis-"

Jaycob cut himself off as he remembered the stormtroopers nearby. Mac raised an eyebrow, amused that his friend showed some source of self-control.

"Doesn't that technically count as step one?"

Mac scoffed and gulped down the shot.

"Well, it depends. Do you want this mission to ride upon the success of technicalities? Or do you wanna do this right?"

Jaycob rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, ok smartass. What's your proposal?"

"Having some sort of safehouse would be a good start."

"A safehouse? You're kidding me."

"No no, hear me out. We can just rent one of the rooms at the inn, i-if this outpost even has one."

"It does."

"We set up there, full-on comms center. We can stash all our goods in one place instead of lugging around our equipment everywhere we go. This way, we can execute each one of the necessary steps effectively and with minimum risk."

Jaycob bit his lip in contemplation.

"Ok, I like that idea but they’ve planted bugs all over the outpost. Surely the inn would be a prime target to catch any smack-talking civilians in the act."

"Don't trip. Asha whipped me up a little something for those pesky things. Well, for you I should say. "

Mac pulled around his backpack and took out a screen extension, about the same size as Jaycob's wrist-computer display. Mac slid it across the table like one of the shot glasses. Jaycob picked it up and raised his left arm. Snapping the extension onto the display, Jaycob rotated the device back and forth. Mac smirked as he saw Jaycob's eyes light up and ordered another drink. The elder, presumably Oga, complied.

"That, my friend, will exterminate those bugs. Or, at least show us where the bugs are so we can exterminate them ourselves."

"We'll do a test run once we get to the inn then."

(-)

The inn matched the theme of the outpost, meaning the building was old, rusting, and full of blaster holes. Rates for the rooms were still cheap nonetheless, and Mac purchased one for the both of them to last them the duration of the mission. After retrieving the door card from the front office, Mac and Jaycob entered one of the elevators and pressed the fifth floor. The building only went up to seven floors, but Mac made sure to keep themselves in the middle just in case any raid occurred.

"That was smart, I wouldn't have thought of that."

Jaycob praised.

"Yeah well, think about it. The First Order can either breach from one of two points. The roof or the ground floor."

"Assuming that they don't have any close air support, like higher-altitude speeders."

"Right."

"Well judging by how the FO is running this planet, I don't think that'll be a problem."

Mac and Jaycob were both aware that they were talking openly about the First Order. But none of it was really illegal to talk about, and it surely didn't tarnish their reputation. It was just two friends, talking about how the First Order would handle things. It wasn't the worst thing the pair had said when talking about the First Order, but it wasn’t suspicious regardless. The elevator door opened on the fifth floor and out they went. Their room was all the way at the end of the hall, furthest away from the stairs.

Mac swiped the card and the door unlocked. He was the first to enter the quaint room and set his stuff on the first bed. Jaycob followed behind, throwing his stuff on the second bed and pulling out his wrist again. Jaycob opened the protective cover and flipped open the screen extension, powering it on.

"You know how to use that thing?"

"Eh, I'll figure it out."

The screen extension glowed to life, a vertical line starting on the left slowly wiping its way to the right. On the line's small journey from one side to the other, several bright circles appeared along the way. Jaycob compared what showed on the screen to his real-life surroundings and determined what they were.

"Asha's a smart one, I'll give her that."

"Well, what's it do?"

Being the one to deliver the device to Jaycob, Mac still had no clue what it did. Asha just told him to give it to "that hard-headed hotshot".

"It highlights every electrical circuit in whatever you're looking at. Kind of like an X-Ray, but for electricity."

"I'll be damned. I never thought stuff like this would be possible."

"Right?"

Jaycob went along all four walls of the apartment, trying to find the sound bug. Mac knew he found it once his eyes widened and he de-activated the scanner. Jaycob then started faintly tapping on a piece of wall that seemed to be freshly painted over. He slit a small incision into the wall, and shoved his hand into the hole.

"Not a word."

Jaycob warned, flashing sarcasm. After a while of feeling around, Jaycob pulled out a small black microphone pinched in between his thumb and index finger. Handing it to Mac, Jaycob signaled for him to be quiet, placing his finger vertically across his lips. Mac tossed it to the floor and crushed it under the weight of his boot.

"Problem solved. You sure that's all of them?"

"Pretty sure."

Mac nodded and went back to his backpack. He fished out his datapad and walked over to the small holotable stationed in the corner of the room. He picked up a connecting wire from the table and inserted it to his datapad, starting the signal scrambling sequence. Step one complete.

"There Jaycob, see? Direct communication to the Resistance established."

Jaycob rolled his eyes.

"Ok, thanks Mac, I get it. Now, did you bring any sensor beacons?"

"Yeah, I brought eight."

"Eight!? I brought eight!"

"Well then we'll just have more accurate scans to send back to command."

"We don't need that many, seriously."

"Ok fine, let's just place ten."

"Deal, but no more."

The pair made their way back outside to the three setting suns. Their load was a bit lighter, nothing but the beacons now in their bags and their cloaks left behind. They brandished their blasters in their respective holsters, and went separate directions.

They figured that they could cover more ground if they split up, so that’s exactly what they did. Mac split the beacons evenly between themselves, five and five. Mac would get the docking bay and most of the marketplace while Jaycob covered the trading posts and speeder garages.

The docking bay was fairly empty of civilians, due to the heavy FO presence there. TIE fighters took most of the parking spots, with smaller run-down ships sprinkled here and there. Usually there was a constant flow of stormtrooper squads guarding the place, but for some reason this planet lacked that. There were only three squads, consisting of five soldiers each, making their rounds about the bay.

The FO had put signs all around the surrounding area, restricting anyone not affiliated with them from entering. But, it was only a sign after all. Mac didn’t give it a second glance as he made his way past.

Seeking cover behind the wing of a TIE, he crouched and pulled out the first beacon. All along the ground were surface lights, designating where the open spots were. Mac strategically placed the beacon behind one of these, thinking it would blend in as just a piece of equipment. He activated the device and confirmed its signal with his datapad.

_One down, four to go._

The FO patrols were easy to avoid, especially since there were so few of them. Mac made his way to the cargo area, placing another one of the beacons behind a stack of crates. After finishing the activation process, he was curious on Jaycob’s progress.

He switched the third sensor beacon in his hand for his comlink and pinged his partner.

”Jaycob, how’re you doing?”

"Good, I've gotten three down. How about you?"

"Only two."

"Well, granted you are dodging more First Order then I am."

"Definitely. I'm starting to regret picking this path."

"I offered-"

"Yeah yeah, shut it."

The rest of the beacons were placed successfully and all without any unnecessary conflict. Mac placed his beacons all in logical spots: on top of lights, behind cargo crates, in food baskets, and underneath market tents. He was fairly confident that the beacons would stay hidden, as long as people weren't purposely looking for them.

The two pilots regrouped back at the inn, step two now finished. All was well, until there was a knock on the door.

"This is the First Order, open up at once!"


	9. Jon'Kil

Jon'Kil listened to the retelling of the mission, intently. He already had the knowledge of what happened, but hearing it from Mac's perspective was much more amusing. The story began to gather an audience now, a small group of the bridge's officers coming closer to listen in. Mac had a way with storytelling, now everyone on the edge of their metaphorical seats.

"We had no idea what to do. The FO were literally on our doorstep."

"So what _did_ you do?"

Jon'Kil asked.

"This is where it gets ugly. Jaycob and I _had_ to open the door. We were planning on trying to negotiate our way out of it."

"Which never works."

Jaycob cut in.

"Nope. There was four of them, and they forced their way into our room. All armed with F-11D's, yet those idiots kept them lowered. We blasted two of them in the chest and got into a struggle with the last two. My guy tried to fire off his rifle, but it ended up shooting towards Jaycob."

"Ohhh, I remember! Then I used my guy as a body shield to absorb the bolt."

"Yes, exactly! Do you remember now?"

"It's starting to come back to me. The inn-keeper snitched on us! That mission didn't end well."

"That would be an understatement."

Poe agreed.

"You guys didn't even finish it, you had to be pulled out before the entire FO fleet arrived."

Jon'Kil remembered this part. After all, he was a part of the exfiltration squad that assisted in getting the two of them off-world.

(-)

The klaxon blaring woke up Jon'Kil from a peaceful rest in the hangar. Asha, who was snuggled in his arms, jolted awake, kicking the cargo crates that made up their small wall of privacy in between two under-repair ion engines. Poe's voice boomed over the intercom in a worried, but serious tone.

"Pilots, report to the hangar as soon as possible. We've got a rescue op on the planet Batuu, priority targets: Commander Flesio and Major Mac. Wheels up in five."

Jon'Kil sat up and took another gaze at the Zeltron. She smiled at him and poked his side with her finger.

"Go get 'em, flyboy."

"I'll be back soon."

After giving Asha one more kiss, he hopped over the cargo-crate wall and sprinted to his X-Wing. One of the engineers had already hooked a step ladder on the cockpit and placed his gloves and helmet on his NavComputer. Jon'Kil jumped inside and strapped in. The preflight checklist was second nature, and before he knew it Jon'Kil was exiting the hangar.

"Jon'Kil, you're my wingman for this one. Follow my lead."

Poe commanded.

"Solid copy."

The rescue team's callsign was Indigo, flight officer Lieutenant Connix giving them the name before they went launched into hyperspace. A few minutes later, they were in the Batuu system. The First Order Resurgent saw them coming and took aim with their cannons. But before firing, the First Order requested a transmission to Poe. He let them speak.

"Resistance dogs, it is of no use. We have your operatives in the palm of our hand, there's no escape for them."

"Sorry, you're cutting out. It's ok though, I'll talk to you guys after we've decimated your fleet."

Cutting off the transmission, Poe then switched channels back to his squad.

"Indigo Squad, one Destroyer, plenty of TIE's. They all go down. Just make sure our shuttle doesn't get touched."

The greenlight was given, meaning the squad would have free reign to take down any targets, however they wanted. This tactic was rarely used, and was primarily only called to wreak havoc and serve as a distraction for the Resistance transports. Jon'Kil deployed his S-Foils and accelerated to attack speed. The initial joust of X-Wings and TIE's went by with a blur, Jon'Kil quickly pursuing his attack angles.

Three TIE's fell victim to the Chiss' barrage of laser before he shifted his focus to the single Resurgent Star Destroyer. A pair of Indigo pilots seemed to take Jon'Kil's lead and form behind him. According to Jon'Kil's NavComputer roster, it was Indigo 3 and Indigo 6. Taking this as a sign that they awaited orders, Jon'Kil called out to them.

"3 and 6, you guys with me?"

"You know it!"

"We got your back, Jon'Kil!"

Now in a tight V-formation, the squad of X-Wings took aim at the cruiser's surface cannons. A flurry of laser cannon and ion torpedoes later, the only defenses the capital ship had now was their deployed fighters. Now called back to defend the cruiser, the TIE's began to form a loose perimeter around the Resurgent, only deterring the pilots of Indigo Squad from getting too close. The mission was going better than expected.

The Resistance transport successfully exfiltrated Jaycob and Mac from the surface of Batuu, and were on their way back to the fleet. But then the First Order pulled off something unexpected. Instead of utilizing the TIE's for cruiser defense, they began their attack run on the Resistance shuttle. Whoever commanded the Resurgent was willing to sacrifice their own safety to make sure two of the most dangerous pilots in the Resistance didn't survive. And for that, Jon'Kil had to give them some credit.

But credit wouldn't save them. Jon'Kil saw the TIE's getting into formation, and called out his findings to Dameron. The First Order hadn't even gotten to launch their attack before Poe and Jon'Kil coordinated the counter. Splitting Indigo Squad into two groups, half the X-Wings formed a tight perimeter around the shuttle, the other half making their methodical approach toward the helpless cruiser.

"Indigo 2, launching attack run."

Jon'Kil reported to Poe.

"Solid copy, give 'em hell."

"Gladly."

Jon'Kil, followed by a trail of five other X-Wings unleashed their payload of ion torpedoes into the Resurgent bridge, life support, and hangar bays. Jon'Kil ordered his followers to hit these targets specifically, knowing the importance of each of the sub-systems. The destroyed bridge means control failure of the entire cruiser. The life support means no oxygen or gravity flowing through the interior. And the hangar bays made sure the launches TIE's had nowhere to refuel, resupply, or land in general.

Soon enough the Resurgent was left crippled, the rest of Indigo Squad regrouping at their transport. The few straggling TIE's were dispatched of quickly, and the Resistance was out of the system and into a hyperspace lane in a matter of seconds. The journey back to their home cruiser was full of questions for Jaycob and Mac.

"What the hell happened?"

Poe demanded.

"Our mission went south. Everything was going according to plan, but before we knew it the First Order came knocking."

Jaycob tried to explain.

"What do you mean, 'they came knocking'? You two are supposed to be covertly scouting if a planet is fit for Resistance occupation, not starting a war in the outpost streets!"

"You don't think we know that?"

"Yeah, we had no control over the First Order's actions. It wasn't our fault."

Mac chimed in.

"Listen, Poe. Sometimes missions just don't go as planned. This is a textbook example. No matter the circumstances, the mission failed. Batuu is not a suitable planet for occupation."

Poe sighed through his comms.

"You know what? It's fine. As long as you guys are back in one piece, I guess we should be calling ourselves lucky."

Jon'Kil was relieved the argument didn't escalate as internal disputes was not what they need at the moment. The Chiss descended gracefully onto their home cruiser's hanger floor, removing his gloves and helmet and handing them to one of the engineers nearby. Asha stood at the doorway of the hangar with her arms on her waist, smiling as Jon'Kil made his way to her.

"How'd it go?"

She asked, pulling him into her embrace.

"Fine. No casualties. It was just a close call."

"Yeah, I bet. Jaycob is a walking recipe for disaster."

She joked.

"Batuu is a no-go."

He concluded, as he started walking toward the lifts.

"Have fun at your debrief."

She said, giving him one last kiss before the elevator doors closed.

(-)

"There. Does this ring a bell, Jaycob?"

Jaycob nodded his head.

"Yes, I remember. We barely made it off the planet."

"Yeah, you could say that."

Poe agreed.

"Ok now that we got that out of the way, we can get back on track."

Jon'Kil tried to regather everyone's attention. The audience of listeners dissipated, all officers on the bridge reporting back to their posts, leaving the original four pilots now at the center holotable.

"The Chiss is right. What's the point of showing us this, Poe?"

Mac cut in, pointing at the TIE Echelon schematics.

"Ahh, yes. Funny story actually, you guys will have a laugh at this one."

"Usually when you say that, nobody laughs and we're left dreading whatever it is you just said."

Jaycob remarked.

"Hmmm, when you put it like that...then yeah. That's pretty much what's happening."

That strange aura from the manufacturing facilities was back again. That same force that was all around Jon'Kil, was stronger than ever, and made him speak without thinking. The words escaped his mouth before he could register any of it.

"We're going back to Batuu."

He blurted in the middle of the conversation. Poe, Mac, and Jaycob all shared the same look of confusion after he had spoke, and for a second Jon'Kil thought he was wrong. But deep down, in his gut, he knew he wasn't. Poe only confirmed his theory when he looked down in defeat. Jaycob read the general's face and tried to protest.

"No no no, Poe you cannot be serious right now!"

"Look, I need pilots who are capable of pulling this off and I don't trust anyone more than you guys."

"Oh, bullsh-"

"What is it that you need us to do exactly?"

Mac cut off the commander before he could finish his...formal complaint. Poe was relieved Jaycob couldn't be heard, and was happy to answer Mac's question.

"Well, we know that since these are transports, they go to and from the First Order main base. But now that they don't have Starkiller, we have no clue where they might be. I need you three to place a tracker on one of these TIE Echelons and find out where their new base is located."

"What if those shuttles are only used for planetary duties? What if they don't even go to the new FO base at all?"

Jon'Kil interjected. Jaycob nodded his head at his questions, as they did make sense.

"That's a risk we should be willing to take. Secondary objective is to download the ship's manufacturing data. If we can't find out exactly where the FO is, we can at least find out where they're building their ships, and that's a good start."

"That is assuming that the shuttle was built recently, before The Supremacy was destroyed. Since we know they had ship building capabilities aboard that cruiser, it'll be no use when we find out the shuttle was built during that time."

Mac replied.

" _If_ we find out the shuttle was built during that time."

Poe corrected. Jon'Kil didn't like basing a mission off what-ifs, but at this point the Resistance needed anything. And if this is what it took, so be it.


	10. Jaycob

* * *

Jaycob was left unsatisfied with Poe's briefing on the mission back to Batuu. Other than Dathomir, this was a planet Jaycob definitely did not want to return to. Luckily, Poe let the three pilots have some time to rest and relax after the mission prior. For Jaycob, it was time needed to heal from the beating he took from Elrik Vonreg. As soon as he was dismissed from the bridge, he rushed to the medical bay to take a good soak in the bacta tank.

Mac tagged along for the short trip, going to the medical bay just to visit Doctor Mads. They entered the elevator, Mac pushed the floor button, and they were off. The lift descended all the way down to the bottom floors and they exited.

"I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

Jaycob said. Mac, surprised at the compliment, smiled.

"I hope so. She didn't even say bye before we left."

"You said it yourself, she's really busy. I'm sure she had a good reason to not be there at sendoff."

Jaycob reassured his friend. The “sendoff” was a small tradition the friends or loved ones of pilots did before they embarked on their next mission. For the pilots, it was their last goodbye and reassurance that people were waiting for them when they got back.

Nowadays there wasn’t much people left to partake in the common practice. After the Battle of Crait, all branches of the Resistance were left extremely understaffed. For Doctor Mads it must’ve been extremely hard, and having Mac served as a much-needed distraction at times like this.

In a time of utter chaos and war, Mac was that shining light in Mads’ life that made her remember she was still human, and had emotions. While it is true that her job is to save other people’s lives, she still had her own to take care of. Jaycob would know, Tallie was that for him. Except his duty was to take lives, not save them.

As if she were waiting for them, Mads opened the door when they were just a few steps away, her infamous smile beaming in the artificial lights. She really was one of the most attractive women on board, second to Tallie of course, and he was still so shocked when Mac told him they were a thing.

Not that Mac didn’t deserve her in any way, but the fact that someone so job-oriented and focused like him being able to still find that special someone was a nice change of pace.

”There’s my Flyboys!”

She exclaimed. Even she knew the name. Their squad callsign was definitely unique, but not enough to warrant the name carrying on post-mission, at least for Jaycob.

”You too, Mads?”

He asked, shaking his head.

”Of course, Commander. It’s catchy.”

She then turned to Mac.

”And there’s _my_ pilot.”

She pulled Mac in closer by the back of his neck, and kissed him. Jaycob just stood there witnessing it all, disgusted. He didn’t even do that with Tallie. Except, when he gave her ownership of his A-Wing. If given the chance to do it again he would in a heartbeat.

”I hate to break this up, I really do-“

”Then don’t.”

 Mads interrupted. Jaycob rolled his eyes.

”The bacta tank better be filled when I get there.”

He said, walking past the smooching couple and into the medical bay. He walked to where the bacta tanks were stationed and sure enough, one was full.

_She knows us too well._

(-)

Jaycob stripped out of his clothes and jumped into the bacta tank as quick as he could. After all, he didn’t know how long until Poe re-called him back and sent him away on yet another mission. He just wanted to make the most out of his time as he could.

He hooked the snorkel around his face and placed goggles over his eyes. Then, carefully, he lowered himself into the cylindrical tank. Dressed in only his underwear, the cool water-like liquid felt soothing on his face. He could feel the cuts and bruises being relieved of pain and the excess blood pushed to the surface.

The good thing about the tank was that there was a turbine at the bottom, keeping him elevated and floating above the ground. It was easy to fall asleep in these things, and that’s exactly what Jaycob did.

”Jaycob? Hey, Jaycob!”

A voice echoed in his ears. He already knew who it was.

”Tallie?”

Jaycob was back in his bed, Tallie leaning against the doorframe. He grinned, jumped out of his bed, pulled her in for a long kiss. It was another one of his visions. He’s had visions about her frequently these past few weeks, and they’ve only gotten more realistic.

When the first vision occurred, he couldn’t even feel her. When he kissed her, something felt really odd. It was too easy to tell that it was fake. But as the dreams continued, everything that happened felt physical and durable.

It felt less like a simulation and more of an actual experience. But he knew that his time with her was short, so he had to make the most of it.

He began to kiss her neck ferociously, like an animal hunting it’s prey and trying to find the victim’s most sensitive spot. Except, instead of digging in for pain, it was for pleasure.

Tallie’s heart rate and breathing accelerated, only motivating Jaycob to keep going. She was in her olive green jumpsuit, still connected to all the mission equipment as if she had just come back from flying. But Jaycob had been through this same scenario so many times before, taking off her clothes was second-nature.

She helped by removing the flight equipment and undoing her bun that kept her hair up. As soon as she removed the pin, her soft glowing locks of hair covered Jaycob’s face in a blanket of silk. The only thing in the way of her bare chest was her white tank top, which she began to remove.

But before she could, Jaycob picked her up and pushed her back against a wall. She yelped in surprise, but not in pain. He knew she liked this, since he’s pulled this stunt before in visions prior. He did it because she liked it, but also partially because he wasn’t strong enough to keep her held off the ground for a long sustained amount of time.

In response, Tallie pulled Jaycob’s head closer to hers with the the back of her elbows, almost in a reverse chokehold. He found it funny because their faces physically could not be any closer, but also cute and reassuring knowing that she was excited.

After a little more neck play, Jaycob pulled her from off the wall and back into his bed. She began to unzip his flightsuit now, his white tank top now firmly grasped in her hands. They’re jumpsuit sleeves dangled at their sides, sometimes tangling around each other in a rhythmic pattern with their body movements.

Things were getting heavy now, the couple almost completely naked. But before Jaycob could go all the way, Tallie stopped and put her hand on his chest.

”W-w-wait. Are we really doing this right now?”

”You sound just like me in the medical bay.”

Jaycob replied, alluding to the night they shared after the Evacuation of D’Qar. The only difference being Jaycob was the one who asked, not Tallie.

”Oh, shut up.”

She giggled, triggering Jaycob to plant another kiss.

”Seriously though, I’ve never done stuff like this before.”

She had a faint hint of worry in her voice. Jaycob scoffed.

”Neither have I, Tallie. We’ll do it _together_.”

She forced a small smirk into her face. She was glad he was gentle with her, he could tell. With all of the experience from past dreams under his belt, he knew exactly what to do and what to say.

Everything went off without a hitch, and the pair of pilots were left breathing heavily. When she told him to go faster, he turned into a beast, her loud moans feeding him with adrenaline. When she told him to slow down, he took a more romantic, playful approach until she couldn’t resist and the process restarted.

Tallie’s short giggles and nostalgic laughs were music to Jaycob’s ears. But her groans and squeals of sexual desire was a symphony. The room was musty now, a humid cloud of passion hovering over them. Their bodies just fit together perfectly, like a puzzle.

The next thing he knew, Jaycob was cuddling with the love of his life, the only thing covering her nudity being his bedsheets. The scratches on his bare back stung a little bit, but the feeling of pain incomparable to the happiness he felt right at this moment.

He could stay like this forever. Tallie snuggled in between his arms, his chest touching her back and their feet intertwined. This is what true peace feels like.

”I love you, Tallie Lintra.”

He whispered into her ear. He saw the smile creep onto her face just by the rising of her cheek.

”I love you more, Jaycob Flesio.”

”Pull him out!”

Another voice echoed in his head, blurring his vision. This was it, the end of the dream. He wasn’t ready to go yet.

”No no no! Stop! Just a few more minut-“

He awoke with a sudden jolt. He was being pulled out of the bacta tank. A mechanical arm pulled him by the waist and lowered him to the medical bay floor.

Jaycob was left breathing heavily on his knees, throwing his arms on top of his head to open up his lungs. Doctor Mads and Mac were standing above him, both looking like worried parents. Jaycob just shook his head and smirked.

”Why’d you pull me out?”

He asked. Mads and Mac both looked at each other like he spoke a different language.

”Your heart rate was rapidly increasing. We got worried something was happening to you.”

Mac answered. Jaycob’s smirk faded, leaving him looking downward and sorrowful. He had to face the ugly reality. Tallie was gone.

”What even happened?”

Mac asked. Jaycob debated telling them the truth, but he knew they wouldn’t understand. They’d also feel pretty weirded out by it all.

”I-I don’t know.”

The pair seemed unconvinced at his answer. But Mads decided to just change the subject.

”Well anyways, your wounds look to have healed substantially.”

”Perfect timing too, since Poe just re-called us to the hangar. We’re going back to Batuu. You ready, Jaycob?”

Jaycob exhaled loudly, dreading his return to the planet. He slowly got up and redressed in his jumpsuit, Mads and Mac watching him carefully as if he was about to drop dead in an instant.

”Guys, I’m fine. Seriously.”

He told them, stretching his arms. He then strapped on his boots and exited the medical bay, turning on his heel toward the hangar. Mac and Mads followed behind, their hands together.

”You coming to send me off?”

Jaycob heard Mac ask.

”I’m all caught up on my patients for now, so I guess I am.”

Mads replied, making Jaycob smile once again. At least Mac was getting what he wanted.

Poe stood in front of the group’s star fighters, his signature pose with his arms crossed. Jaycob knew he only did it to project authority, and for the most part it worked. But not on Jaycob.

”Flyboys, who’s ready to go back to Batuu?”

He asked excitedly, a wide grin on his face. None of the other pilots shared the same expression. Jaycob shook his head.

”I’m pretty sure we made it clear we did not want to go back to that planet.”

”I know I know, but that’s the only confirmed location of one of these shuttles. We have no idea how many were manufactured or where they are.”

”For all we know, this could be the only one in existence.”

Jon’Kil tried to reason with the group.

”Chiss, you said that the FO was past prototype stage.”

Mac argued.

”It is. Never said how many were exactly built though.”

”Ok regardless, it _is_ the best chance we have of figuring out where the FO set up their base. We can all agree on that, right?”

Jaycob took the leadership position that was already so natural for him. Jon’Kil and Mac both nodded their heads slightly. Even though it wasn’t in Jaycob’s best interest to go back to Batuu, it was in the Resistance’s.

”So, let’s just go and get this over with. The sooner it’s finished the sooner we can come back here, where Poe will have drinks waiting for us at the bar. Ain’t that right, General?”

Jaycob turned to Poe and raised his eyebrows. Jaycob shrugged, silently urging him to agree. After the reluctant glare in Poe’s eyes, he finally gave in.

”Right. My treat.”

Jaycob clapped his hands and turned toward the ready-room.

”Perfect! Fellas, let’s get going.”

(-)

Jaycob initiated the hyperspace sequence and transferred the coordinates to Mac and Jon'Kil, his old habits of being the squad leader taking over. But he had to stop himself, since technically Mac was still active squad leader for the time being. Jaycob decelerated his thrusters to fall back behind Mac, nodding his head as they looked at each other through their cockpits.

He's already had his time in the spotlight, maybe it was time someone else did for a change. Besides, after the stunt Jaycob pulled last time on Batuu, there would definitely be a target on his back. However, this mission was different. It was a quick-in and quick-out type of operation, and Jaycob knew that he wanted to spend as little time as possible on the planet. The same could be said for his squadmates too. After all, they too had their history with Batuu.

"Alright Flyboys, w-we're still going with that nickname right?"

Mac asked.

"I don't see why not."

Jon'Kil replied.

"Copy. Kaydel, Flyboys are pulling away."

"Roger that, good luck fellas."


	11. Mac

Batuu came into sight, the First Order armada now even bigger than before. They were resupplied with another Resurgent star destroyer coupled with a fleet of TIE's. However, this time it would be harder to land on the surface. Mac's SuperComputer executed a planet-wide scan and discovered that the First Order had set up anti-aircraft cannons all around Black Spire Outpost and its surrounding area.

"Those turrets are gonna be a real problem, Mac."

Jaycob called in.

"Indeed they are. We're gonna have to find a weak spot in their turret placements."

He replied. But looking to his right, Jaycob suddenly had an idea, as shown by his eyebrows shooting up.

"Jaycob, what's up. It looks like you got something."

"I do, but it's risky."

"We'll take anything at this point."

"We can pull another  _Koensayr_."

Mac instantly did not like the sound of it. The last time the group tried to lure in the enemies and merely avoid capture, they barely managed to escape with their lives. Jon'Kil on the other hand was totally on board with the idea.

"Fine by me, as long as we agree to let Mac to be the bait this time."

Jaycob and Jon'Kil chuckled, while Mac rolled his eyes.

"Haha, very funny. But in all seriousness, is that the best you got?"

Jaycob shrugged through the black tint of his A-Wing cockpit. Mac was hesitant to say the least, but he did not have any other choices. After a moment of contemplation, he gave in.

"Fine. What do you need me to do?"

"Haha, there's the Mac we know and love. Alright it's fairly simple. Set off their alarms and get them to chase you around a bit."

"Basically just draw the cannons, fighters, and cruiser off of us."

Jon'Kil added. Jaycob nodded in agreement.

"And what exactly will you two be doing?"

"I'll bring Jon'Kil back to our old safehouse, retrieve our hidden explosives, if they're still there, plant them on the cannons and clear the way. The FO will be defenseless on the surface before they even know what hit them."

"Ok, then once the cannons are down where do I go?"

"Just jump to hyperspace somewhere real quick and come back on a different side of the planet. I'm pretty sure the FO will shift their focus to the smoke plumes rising from the ground by then."

"Hm. Sure. I'll be trusting you two to take care of this in a timely manner, yes?"

"C'mon Mac, when have we ever let you down?"

Jaycob and Jon'Kil zoomed off before he could even answer. Mac sighed as he initiated a scan of the opposing fleet.

_These two are going to be the death of me._

Mac, accelerated to attack speed head-on toward the Resurgent cruiser. The surface cannons swiveled in return, the fleet of TIE fighters getting into formation and shifting themselves to face him as well. Mac would be lying if he said that he did not feel bothered by the sudden turn of events. A huge fleet versus one measly starfighter. He didn't like those odds. Nonetheless, he had to do what he had to do. Unleashing his blaster cannons, Mac spiraled as he engaged in the deadly initial joust. Due to pure numbers, a handful of FO fighters landed some shots on his hull. His shields shuttered as they absorbed most of the damage, but a few bolts managed to make contact with his nose. Metal bits flew off from the hit with such speed that it pierced his cockpit front window. His NavComputer beeped relentlessly, cabin pressure quickly deteriorating.

"Yeah yeah, I get it I get it!"

He said to himself as he voided the warning prompt. Still headed directly toward the cruiser, it shouldn't have come as a surprise when the cannons were next to fire. But before they could get a bead on him, Mac corkscrewed downward and ended up underneath the Resurgent. There weren't many turbolasers here, so it was a walk in the park for Mac trying to avoid them. His real worry was the gigantic wave of TIEs coming around for another run. He glanced behind him and saw that the group had already turned back toward him and were coming in for another barrage. But yet again, before they could initiate their target-lock, he evaded their sight-line by shooting back up to the surface of the cruiser.

But just as he avoided one threat, another one quickly followed. The several surface cannons traced Mac from the bottom and calculated his next position. Their accuracy was pinpoint as a pre-fired salvo shook the X-Wing, depleting his shields to nonexistent. One of his blaster cannons snapped at the joint and flew off his right-upper S-foil. Smoke trailed from the damaged area and sparked a new flame. Another system alert flashed on Mac's NavComputer, only to be swiped away and deleted.

_One more hit like that and I'm toast._

But there was no other choice. He needed to buy his teammates time to take out those blasted cannons. Meticulously dodging each flurry of TIE fighter blasts, he slowly made his way toward the planet. Jaycob nor Jon'Kil reported whether or not they touched down on the surface or not. Mac was in the dark. He knew that sooner or later his starfighter's subsystems were going to be damaged if he didn't get his S-Foil repaired. He was a fly ready to get caught in a web.

He didn't want to risk contacting the other two in fear of his transmission being intercepted and their cover blown. All he could really do is fly and wait. The wave of TIE fighters didn't let up, the FO pilots practically breathing down his neck. Green streaks of laser fire flashed by his cockpit, threatening to hit some critical part of his ship and causing it to explode. His shields were diminished so any hit to his hull would be critical.

That would be it, he would die. The Resistance would lose yet another critical asset to their Navy. Poe would lose a pilot. Jaycob and Jon'Kil would lose a friend. Mads would lose...a patient? No. He was definitely something more than that to her, right? He had to be. He had no clue. But he intended to find out.

(-)

Smoke trailed from almost every single crevice of Mac's X-Wing, sparks flying from torn wiring and broken machinery. He was one switch-flick away from breaking radio silence when Jaycob's excited voice came through his helmet.

"Sorry for the delay Major, but your landing pad awaits you. These surface cannons are toast!"

An exhale of relief exited Mac's nostrils as a big portion of the TIE fighters drew away from the chase and headed planet-bound. As agreed, Mac plugged in his hyperspace coordinates and escaped the system. During the jump, he took the time to look over his systems and asses the damage. His shields and weapons systems were in a critical state, the smoke filters were going to rot and start to flood the cockpit with the unbreathable black gas, and he was pretty sure that the only thing that wasn't damaged was his landing gear.

He turned on his long-distance communication and pinged his pilots on the ground.

"Mac, you’re headed back now right? Pretty sure those FO dogs are off your scent."

Jon'Kil said.

"Yeah, about that, I think I'm gonna make a quick pit-stop at home base. My ship is shot to kriff, I'm lucky to even be alive. I'm gonna get someone to repair it but I'll be back."

"Damn, alright. We'll try to finish what we can over here then, good luck."

Mac executed the transmission and plugged in new coordinates to the Resistance cruiser. He wasn't going to leave his guys out there for long.

 (-)

"Fighter coming in hot, ground crew take cover!"

Connix's voice echoed over the hangar intercom. Mac extended his landing gear and tried to land as gracefully as he could, but his ship was so damaged that he hit the ground harder than expected. The legs were pushed even further into the fuselage, snapping the locks and slumping the entire fighter nose-first against the ground. An engineer had to pry open Mac's cockpit with a multi-tool, taking his helmet and gloves and putting it on a cart nearby.

"You're back...early."

Asha stated, helping the pilot out of his seat.

"Yeah, well I mean you can see why. I'd do more harm than good if I stayed in here."

"Agreed, we'll have this thing back in top shape in no time. How's Jon'Kil?"

"Good, they're both good. They've destroyed the Batuu surface cannons, but I think they're gonna try and lay low until I get back."

"That'd be smart. But come on, it's Jaycob. Do you really think he's gonna be smart?"

"I'm hoping he will be, at least for this  _one_ time."

They both chuckled.

"Yeah, this mission depends on it. Maybe even the fate of the Resistance."

"Mmm yeah, possibly. But what else is new? Anyways, where's Mads?"

"Where do you think? Drowning herself in her work like every other day, duh."

Mac rolled his eyes and lightheartedly punched the mechanic, then turned and walked toward the medical bay.

"Say hi to her for me! That is _if_ you guys even talk before you-"

"Shut it!"

Mac laughed to himself at the comment as he walked the last corridor before her office. She was right though, he didn't really have talking in his mind whenever he thought of Mads. Just the thought of her body made him excited, causing him to turn his brisk walking pace into a jog. Passing by pilots and soldiers, he spent as little time as possible to greet them as he was determined to reach the doctor's office. But right as he was about to turn into the last corridor, a familiar voice stopped him.

"Mac! Wait up!"

It was Jessika. He stopped in his tracks to talk to his dear friend since he hasn't seen her in months.

"Jess! How are you, I've have not-"

"Seen you in ages. Yes I know."

She laughed as they both gave each other a hug.

"You're here early, where's Jay and Jon'Kil? They're not in trouble are they?"

"Of course they are, have you met them?"

Jessika rolled her eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Anyways, where ya headed?"

"Uhhh, Doctor Mads actually."

Jessika's suspicious smirk crept onto her face again. He could've sworn she could read minds.

"Uh huh, you _injured_?"

She asked sarcastically.

"Not yet."

Mac replied with a sheepish grin. Jessika mimicked her throwing up on the floor and landed a punch on his shoulder. It stung a little, but he knew she was just joking around.

" _Ouch!_  What am I, your blasted punching bag?"

Jessika scoffed.

"Yup. Maybe after your little office visit I'll have the rest of your squad hang you in the gym for me."

"Yeah ok Jess, tough talk for someone who's literally in love with the general. And speaking of office visits, I kinda need to get going."

She raised her arms and backed away.

"Alright alright, don't let me stop you. Just make sure you're wheels up when you're finished. Dunno if Poe would approve of this little lunch break."

"I wonder how he'd find out."

Mac squinted and pointed two fingers from his eyes to hers. Jessika grinned and turned away toward the hangar.

_She wouldn't actually snitch on me, would she?_

Mac shook his head.

"Nah."

He said aloud. But what happened next made his heart sink.

_Blaster fire._

He practically kicked the office door down, scanning the room for Mads. She was on the ground, slumped against her desk with a hand over her stomach. Across the room was a Resistance officer with a SE-44C blaster pointed at her. The confusion however, did not break Mac's reflexes. With a dash forward he smacked the blaster pistol away from the officer's hand and landed a jab straight to the jaw. The officer was left dazed and completely shocked. By the looks of it, the officer didn't look older than 20, with a clean-shaven face, and blonde short hair. Another oddity was that the uniform looked a little too big for him, and that blaster wasn’t standard issue for the Resistance.

No matter Mac's suspicions, his anger took a hold of him as he proceeded to pound his fist into the officer's face until he was unconscious. He then turned his attention to Mads who was struggling to pull herself onto her feet. He rushed to her side and threw her arm around his neck and over his shoulder.

" _Ow ow,_ dammit that hurts."

She hissed. Slowly, Mac led the way to one of the empty beds and helped her onto it.

"Yeah, well it's not supposed to feel pleasant."

"If I wasn't in so much pain, I'd slap you right now."

She managed a small chuckle before she winced back in agony. Mac took a look at the damage and was surprised to see that the bolt had just grazed the side of her torso. A sigh of relief was exhaled as he forced a small grin to keep the doctor calm. She returned it with a faint smirk and pointed with her eyes toward one of the cabinets adjacent to the bed. Mac followed her gaze and pulled out some type of tri-circular device from its case.

"This?"

"Mmhm, hand it over."

He placed it into her hand and watched as she powered it on. The device buzzed to life and vibrated in her hand as she hovered over her wound.

"What exactly is that?"

"A healing field generator, Flyboy. You seriously don't know what this is? Are you sure they gave that SuperComputer to the right person?"

Mac laughed. Even after facing an almost-fatal injury, Mads still somehow kept her cool. That was one of the many things she admired about her.

"Mmhm. In my defense, I'm up in the sky for the most part, so blaster bolts from small arms aren't really much of a problem for me."

"Ooooh we got a badass pilot over here don't we?"

"Oh my-"

"BlAsTeRs ArEn'T a PrObLeM-"

"Shut up!"

The pair couldn't help but bust out laughing, until Mads cringed at her injury again.

"You're too much, Mads. Let's get you to a tank."

This time, Mac pulled her off the bed into his arms and carried her. With her legs slung over his left arm and her back resting against his right, it was like holding a baby. The walk to the bacta tank wasn't too far and he really didn't have to carry her, but he secretly did so just to impress her. And judging by the way she looked up at him, it was working. She reached up and caressed his cheek with her thumb thoughtfully.

"This war is no place for you, Flyboy."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"You're much too nice."

She retracted her hand.

"You really think so?"

"I do."

"Hmm, well I think you're just delirious from that blaster hit."

He gently placed her into a seat next to him as he powered on and filled the tank with bacta.

"That's...not how blaster wounds work, silly."

"I know. But I'm trying to make up some type of excuse for why you're talking the way you are."

Her jaw dropped slightly as if she was offended.

"What are you talking about, Flyboy? This is just how I talk!"

"Hmm, so you flirt with all your patients then?"

Mac raised his eyebrows and grinned. Mads rolled her eyes and rested her cheek on her arm.

"Would you like me to stop then, Major?"

"Mmm, nope. Take off your clothes."

Mads' cheeks glowed red as he eyes darted all around the room.

"Uhh-wha-what?"

"For the tank, Doc. You can't get in there fully-clothed, it'll interfere with the healing process."

She exhaled deeply.

"Oh-uh, right right."

Mac knew what he said and how he said it. He just wanted to see how she'd react. Was he evil for doing that? Maybe.

"I'll step away if you want some privacy-"

"No, i-it's fine. I think I'll need help with it anyways."

This time, Mac's cheeks grew red. Was she doing the same thing?

"Oh-uh, of course of course."

He shut off the bacta pipe and checked to make sure all the systems and computers were ready for submersion. Then he approached Mads and knelt down to reach her eye level. The second he looked up however, he was stuck. Stuck staring deeply into her deep brown eyes. He had to blink a couple times to shake himself out of it, but as he did so, Mads cupped his face into her hands to stop it.

"Hey. I just want to tell you something."

"Y-yeah?"

"Whatever it is that you're feeling, Mac, I'm feeling it too."

Mac was taken aback. Could she read his mind?

"Wha-uhh. Right.  _Heh_ , right."

Mads furrowed her eyebrows. That wasn't the response she was expecting.

"You...ok there, Flyboy?"

"No yeah, I am. Uhh, let's just get you to that tank now, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Mac pulled off her shoes and socks, then proceeded to work his way to her pants. But before he undid them, he wanted to make sure that Mads was comfortable with it.

" _Umm_ , did you need help wi-"

"Yup, uh huh."

She replied, biting her lip. He nodded and proceeded to slide her white pants down from her waist. Both of their breathing began to grow more rapid, but Mac had to fight the urge to do what he so desperately wanted to. Her injury was still a factor and needed to be treated as soon as possible. There was no way that they could do anything in the current state she was in.

"Look Doc, we really need to get you inside this tank."

She looked at the pilot up and down.

"Well what if I wanted to get into... _something else?"_

Mac's eyes widened.

"You-uh, you sure you're not delirious?"

Mads inched her face closer to his.

"Nope."

Mac knew how to bad he just wanted to just grab her face and push his lips against hers, but he didn't know if she felt the same. He motioned his now-shaking hands to her top, to which she gave no Resistance. He opened the top button slowly, still looking back up at her just to make sure it was fine. She still stared into his eyes as affectionately as ever, only making it harder to try and stay professional. Slipping the top off, he got to see the blaster wound a little bit more clearly. He left both her underwear and bra on since it wasn't as restrictive as her full uniform. He picked her back up climbed the stairs to get to the top of the tank.

He felt the liquid to make sure it was warm enough for her, which it was, before he placed her on the platform next to the hatch. But as he tried to walk back down the stairs, Mads grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Thank you, Mac. For this."

"Of course, Mads. I always look out for my friends."

Her smile faded.

" _Friends._ Right."

Mac instantly regretted what he said.

"Wait I-"

"Might wanna check to see if that guy you knocked out is still unconscious. He's definitely not one of us."

Mac quickly glanced in the direction at the culprit, who was starting to stir.

"Yeah, I got it. Did you want me to stay while-"

"It's fine. Just make sure that prick is out of my office."

"Deal, I'll-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the tank hatch closing, as Mads went under.


End file.
